The Misty Rain Guardian's Story
by Lara0XM
Summary: Rated M for future chapters. Karen Squalo, a member of the Vongola Famiglia's Varia, comes to Japan and finds herself in situations and roles she would never have dreamed of. OC fiction. TakeshixOC.
1. Prelude

_**Prelude **_

"NO WAY! We need her here," Xanxus yelled at the Ninth who just shook his head sadly. For the last hour I've been listening to Xanxus and the Ninth go head to head in a verbal battle. Here we had the two extremes battling for dominance in a stone room that allowed Xanxus's voice to be heard all over Sicily and give me a headache. The Ninth suggested I go on a student transfer to Japan for two years while Xanxus was of the opinion I _have_ to stay in Italy and continue my service to the Vongola mafia family in the Varia because they need an espionage agent and I'm the only one in the whole organization. My brother, Superbi Squalo was steaming. Rather than insert myself into the argument with a more diplomatic stance I choose to stop and try to think about what I wanted. I was weighing the scales: a two year break from the Varia, the experience of a country without a job attached verses Xanxus's displeasure of not having an irreplaceable tool absent when he needs it.

"VOOOIIII!" Superbi broke in with his vocal signature of frustration that caught everyone's attention and silenced the room, "This concerns _Karen_ more than it does us so get her opinion,"

"Wha?" I came out of my head to find the three most powerful political leaders and strongest fighters in the mafia looking at me expectantly,

"Do you want to go to Japan?" Superbi looked at me,

"Sure," a spontaneous answer, "I want to go". The expression of fury on Xanxus's face would've had any other human being taking back their answer and running in the opposite direction. Xanxus doesn't scare me because I saw him get his butt kicked by an old man eight years ago. When you see someone turned into a chunk of ice it's a little hard to work up fear.

First day of school at Nami-chuu. Everyone, will you please look over here," why do teachers have to make a big deal about transfer students at the start of the school year? It doesn't matter what continent you are on and I've been almost everywhere as a transfer student for my missions. "We have a transfer student from Italy, please be nice to her and help her out," I'll ask for help when I need it, "come in now". Reluctantly I slid the door open. About the only compensation for having to stand up in front of the entire class was seeing the teacher's surprise; I was wearing pants rather than a skirt. "Ah, ahem, this is Karen Squalo," I made no move say the 'nice to meet you, my name is Karen, I hope we get along'.

The teacher just sighed, "There's an empty desk by Yamamoto-kun…" I was already three quarters of the way to the desk by the time the teacher noticed I was already moving.

My Japanese is rudimentary but I knew enough to know everyone has labeled me as a rebel. I'm having second thoughts about staying in Japan for _two years_ in a hole_ I _dug myself.

"Hey, I'm Yamamoto Takeshi, nice to meet you," the boy's warm welcome despite my rather cold entrance,

"Um, hi"

"By the way, why are you wearing pants?" he was still smiling a calm, goofy grin.

"I don't like skirts," I answered.


	2. The 'Average' Life

_**The 'Average' Life**_

Now I know why the Ninth was so encouraging for me to go on the student exchange: it was to meet a Vongola Decimo candidate, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Sawada is called 'No-Good-Tsuna' and 'Tsuna'. Sawada Tsunayoshi/No Good Tsuna/Tsuna was the last person I would choose to be the boss of the Vongola.

"What do you think Karen? A good Vongola Boss?" the Ninth gave me a surprise phone call on my cell that woke me up at two in the morning, just when I got to sleep.

_Are you senile already? If it wasn't for the fact you're the Vongola Nono I'd kill you for waking me up when I could be sleeping_. In the Varia I'm lucky to get three hours of sleep. "Sure he's nice and everything, but I would go for Xanxus,"

Silence greeted me on the end of the phone. I wouldn't be surprised if he was going to have me repeat what I just said and record it or have a heart attack. It's no secret in the Vongola Xanxus and me to get along as well as sharks at a feeding frenzy and I'm the shark that gets bitten when I don't watch my back….Literally. Most of the time though I most often get glasses full of good quality wine chucked at my head, which I dodge and say "You know Xanxus, if you hate this wine this much you should try a new type" which prompts a chair or television coming my way. Also, I don't miss out on the chance to be a thorn in his side due to the fact he gives me shit; I know two wrongs don't make a right, but in math two negatives equal a positive by multiplying them. I also get punishment 'mistakenly' directed at me that is for Superbi. At the same time though, the bugger has grown on me so I have a degree of affection and a lot of respect for him that he doesn't appear to reciprocate.

"Sorry, I must be going deaf. Could you repeat that?" Yup he most definitely was going to record that and share it everyone else saying the impossible does happen, though he sounded a little hurt which made me feel guilty,

"In short, Xanxus was made for the underground. Tsuna isn't".

Everything taught in class I already knew inside and out so I've spent the better part of school sleeping and recovering from the nighttime ninjutsu training. According to my brother, I am that one in a million year genius but having a photographic memory doesn't make you a genius; I just use common sense and make use of the knowledge I have memorized. The only subjects I have extensive knowledge in are infiltration/spy work and the Italian mafia in general and specific but that's all practical and essential-for-survival knowledge.

I learned a couple of things about my classmates. Yamamoto Takeshi is the star baseball player of the school team who has a fan club of girls that he treats nicely but doesn't seem interested in. Yamamoto is the kind of guy a person can't hate; if you can't befriend him, you respect him. Yamamoto is always talking to me but I'm at a loss as to what to say to him. I know how to deal with 'men of honor' and the only way I survive is to give them the clear message of 'it's not worth messing with me' either by sharing their personal information that no one is suppose to know or kick their butts into next week.

Naturally, I had a dilemma about which school club to join. I thought about the kendo club but Mochida, the senior, is really stupid and I know I would only have to put in 0.1%, if even, effort to defeat him. The other downside is I would have to curb myself when I'm there and that is a no-no; if I get rusty it would be embarrassingly easy for another assassin to kill me. Even if I'm in Japan where nothing is going to happen, I have to keep my current level of skill up so I don't kick the bucket because of the rustiness when I return to Italy. Baseball seemed like the only available option so I end up going with that. I play on the girl's team obviously and…yeah. This feels real stupid. Yamamoto and I end up spending a lot of time training together. The only reason I can think of for this happening is we're the only ones who are equal to each other. I've never played baseball before and Takeshi said "Really? You seem like you've been playing it all your life". The only thing I've been doing all my life is learning self defense and developing my own sword but that is not something you drop on just anyone. Besides, saying your full time work is assassination is not a good a way to start making friends, even if they are oblivious like Takeshi. Somehow, being oblivious seems to be rather endearing trait of his.

Just out of curiosity, I tried traditional Japanese dance. The place I'm going to is taught by the geisha. The dance is very graceful and delicate, and it exercises a lot of self control and you have to be careful when you wear a kimono, especially since the teacher intends on using the geisha style. But I'm just going to do a term. The only reason I'm doing a term of it is to see if it's possible to integrate this dance style into my sword style; maybe I can knock a lot of people for a grave. I love to dance, but I prefer hip-hop, break dancing, the more energetic dance styles. I don't care for dresses and skirts and other feminine clothing, but I have no issues with a kimono. What's up with that?

I wonder if there is a person in England who practices Merlin magick because I found and have been accepted into a ninjutsu dojo, a school where ninja are trained. I'm not going to say much about this particular after school activity other than I'm working on refining my techniques and that includes acting. Training is either late at night or early in the morning.

After Tsuna convinced Takeshi to not commit suicide, Takeshi has been hanging around Tsuna and he also has dragged me into it. Since hanging out with Tsuna, a lot of weird people have shown up, and I don't mean Varia weird [Varia weird: guys who hate each other, but idolize Xanxus; have their own quirks like Lussuria (I hope I don't have to explain that one); general enjoyment of battle and killing; lack common sense etc].

Hibari Kyoya is the closest to being Varia weird but he isn't as he doesn't idolize Xanxus (thank God) or anyone for that matter. He's his own man. I'm pretty sure this guy, once he powers up some more, will be able to give Xanxus a run for his money. Hibari isn't that different from what I usually deal with in the Varia: battle drunken idiots, though Hibari uses his head more often the others do and is actually kind of intimidating but I don't care if you're intimidating or not since I have kicked all butts except for Xanxus who gets verbally assaulted by me. I can understand the obsession with combat to an extent, because I love the challenges that only life or death situations present, and knowing you're stronger than your opponent, but some of the extents the Varia has gone, are insane. Other than his love for battle, I don't have an issue with him. It's easy to keep out his way, and when I can't for some wacked up reason, I can easily defend myself if I'm in the mood for a fight or I can just disappear.

Miura Haru I'm going to kill someday along with Lambo unless they change; both of them are irritating and weird, well Lambo's just spoiled and only five years old so I just have to get used to him, which is easier than it sounds. I wonder what the Mr. and Mrs. Miura did to have such a wacked up daughter. Haru was crushing on Reborn, but when Tsuna saved her from drowning in a waist high creek or stream or river, she fell for him heads over heals faster than Xanxus gets pissed (which happens in milliseconds).

Sasagawa Kyoko is adorable, but oblivious; I can't believe she swallows the things her brother tells her. The other weirdo is Sasagawa Ryohei, Kyoko's older brother, and every other word out his mouth is 'extreme', boxing is his game (he and Takeshi are similar in their obsession about their respective sports) and he's just as vocal as my brother, which is a real accomplishment but Superbi is only vocal when he's furious and you can tell when Superbi is mad by the 'Voi' he shouts at the beginning of a sentence; the amazing quirks of the mafia.

I guess Doctor Shamal can count as a nutty Varia member, but he was just offered a job, which he turned down thank God, and is a pathetic womanizer. That's why I'm glad he turned down the offer because I'd have to put with him if he had joined as I am the only female human being in the entire damn organization. Let's not forget Bianchi either but she just lives in her own world, though I do worry about her being in love with an Arcobaleno who can easily be centuries older than her but hey, whatever works for her. I shouldn't criticize either because I've never even had a crush.

Gokudera Hayato, the Hurricane Bomb Hayato transferred here, to Nami-chuu. Doing what I do best, I just observed the happenings. Tucking myself into a corner during break I noticed Gokudera chucking dynamite left, right and center at Sawada. I'm amazed that everyone calls Sawada 'No-Good-Tsuna' because he's quite good at running away so long as he doesn't trip. In some ways it was amusing to watch Tsuna in Dying Will Mode extinguishing the dynamite but I started choking on my apple when Gokudera got down on hands and knees and turned into a golden retriever.

"Hey, Karen!" Takeshi popped out of nowhere, "Want to hang out?"

"Why not," I didn't really have anything better to do. Without any direction in mind we appeared in the park. We espied Gokudera with his cigarette talking to the pigeons that tapped their beaks at the sidewalk trying to catch ants. I don't know much about civilian life styles but I'm pretty sure they don't involve talking to pigeons unless they are especially bored. "Guess I'll go visit the Tenth," he grinned, stomping on his biri.

"That's an idea," Takeshi grinned. Once again I can't argue with that. It's easier being around Gokudera than Akane, the daughter of the family I'm staying with. When we finally reached Tsuna's house and went to his room we found a gong show. Tsuna is freaking out that he killed someone, and that someone happens to be…no way! Moretti! I almost died laughing; I was dying of laughter anyways because Gokudera was strangling Takeshi over commenting on Gokudera talking to pigeons. Reborn had called Shamal to confirm the 'death' of Moretti which he wasn't going to do; womanizing perverted jack ass. For the second time since coming to Japan, I hid behind Takeshi except this time it was to stay out Shamal's sight. It was priceless seeing everyone's expression when they confirmed the body on Tsuna's bed to be dead; even Takeshi was freaked.

I have reason to be jealous of Hibari Kyoya: he owns a motorcycle and _drives_ it! I only have a dirt bike and that only gets used on vacations. I love motorcycle for a couple reasons which include they create a sense of freedom and they're hot. I don't give a damn if a person drives a Rolls Royce but if they're riding a BMW S1000RR than you have my attention but the attention is directed toward the bike. Hibari shows up and volunteers the service of body disposal. For a reason I missed, Gokudera got pissed off and chucked some dynamite at Hibari who returned fire. I was the only one not in the room when the dynamite blew. Swords are so much more safer and nowhere near as flashy as dynamite. Moretti had motored when the dynamite came through and revealed his ability: he can play a very convincing act of playing dead. Everyone but Tsuna and Haru were laughing.

"You knew about this Karen?" Takeshi was struggling to breath, "Why didn't you say anything?"

I was still laughing so that should be self explanatory.

It was a surprise to see Dino at Tsuna's house. I haven't seen Dino much since he became the boss of the Cavallone Family, and the absolute last time I saw him was when I started working for the Varia. He is the perfect guy to talk Tsuna into becoming the Vongola's boss. He's klutzy when away from his subordinates and freakin' amazing when he's around them which actually makes him an ideal brother for Tsuna (I wonder why the Creator, or whatever they are, didn't just save everyone some trouble and make Dino and Tsuna actual blood siblings). I can't believe I actually missed his goofy but caring and serious personality. I do notice how hot Dino is but I don't really care. He was pretty surprised to see me as well.

"So how's your brother?" he asked when we were alone

"The usual," I grinned,

"Loud and doing what a shark does best?"

"Somewhat", I ignored the pun on our family name (Squalo is Italian for shark). Leviathan has made a point of exhausting that route of hilarity; the only reason it's humorous anymore to anyone but him is because I deck him. Undeniably, some of my brother's attacks do resemble shark movements which are probably where he got the idea for them.

Both Tsuna and Dino complain Reborn is a Spartan, but if you want true Spartan training, go to the Varia. My brother's drilled me in defensive combat since I was five, and than when I was ten and training for the Varia he drilled the combat situations into me better than a military sergeant. Finally, you got Xanxus and the rest to deal with. You got to prove to everyone that you're not to be taken lightly, and that is like moving a mountain: you have to start with one stone at a time until you've moved the last one. I actually worked my way up to second place in the Varia hierarchy, which makes me equal to my brother.

Occasionally, it's just me and Takeshi. How that happens, I have no idea, but I enjoy that time. He's dense about lots of stuff, but he has one the biggest hearts I've ever met though that's not saying much what with the crowd I hang around with. I can't deny he's become my best friend in Japan. Except for mafia stuff, I can talk to him about anything with the obvious exception of girl stuff, but let's face it, I am a tomboy by personality and I was pretty much raised around all males, so I, for the most part, am a man. Most often we are around Tsuna and Gokudera Hayato. I have no idea how the four of us became friends; it just happened. Although Takeshi acts like he is oblivious to Gokudera's hostility, he actually isn't. He hopes Gokudera will back off eventually, but I think it's more likely Gokudera will be in his grave before that happened unless a cataclysmic event of some kind happened.

When it's just me and Takeshi, we usually end up playing baseball. Outside of baseball, Takeshi is goofier than a clown, but when playing a game, he makes Levi, who is the most serious, look like a crack up. Sometimes we just hang out, doing nothing but enjoying the weather and watching clouds go by. I actually got a part time job at Take-Sushi, courtesy of Takeshi, the sushi restaurant that Takeshi's father owns. I can't help but wonder if the name of the shop is how Takeshi got his name. So long as Takeshi doesn't have baseball practice, he and I work the same shifts. Tsuyoshi, Takeshi's father knows I'm a swordsman and only fellow swordsmen are aware of each other. He even quizzed me about it and I had a lot of sidestepping to do. Xanxus has never intimidated me but Tsuyoshi Yamamoto is scary, probably because I've seen him cut fish into perfect little sushi rolls with one slash from a knife but appears just as goofy and easy going as his son. He seems to be the kind of person anyone can get along with so long as you don't get on his bad side; when you do get there, it's not pretty.

I've found myself laughing a lot, and having fun. Since I was five, I haven't laughed much. Hmmm, Xanxus better not have any issues with me continuing school here in Japan otherwise Superbi will be getting a promotion…..As if I could take out Xanxus.


	3. Panic

_**Panic **_

The last couple of days have been insane! At first it was just the Disciplinary Committee losing their teeth and becoming maimed but now non-Disciplinary Committee members are being hospitalized. What is bugging me is the fact everyone attacked has lost a certain number of teeth. What do these people or person, want? Why Namimori? _Oh shit. They're after the Vongola!_ I realized _I have to warn Takeshi, Tsuna and Gokudera!_ Panic surged like a wave. Never have I felt panic, even when my brother was cornered by a boss from a rival family, I hadn't panicked. Superbi fought the Sword Emperor and former boss of the Varia for over twenty four hours and I didn't worry about him! Superbi can look after himself; he _is_ a candidate to be the Varia's boss after all but the others, with the exception of Gokudera and maybe Takeshi, can't look after themselves at all.

_The numbers of teeth slowly increased by a rate of one and Sasagawa Ryohei had….oh no,_ Fuuta's ranking list of the strongest in Namimori bloomed in my mind's eye. Gokudera ranked around three give or take a place, and Takeshi was second or first. Tsuna was off the list due to being No-Good-Tsuna when the list was made. Panic enshrouded my mind and I bolted for school only to find Gokudera gone. The teacher wasn't enthused with the fact I had bolted into class thirty minutes late and than bolted straight back out the next second. _Crap, crap, crap why now? _

The steady beat of my feet hitting the sidewalk calmed my mind down. Tsuna can't look after himself with Leon all messed up, but Takeshi and Gokudera are capable of holding their own. For a wild moment I thought this was the work of Varia, but it wasn't like Xanxus to beat around the bush like this, and besides he had access to every data bank out there due to me though some of the more defended places are unavailable. Also, when Xanxus wants something, he gets it _NOW_, not in five minutes, NOW. Besides, Xanxus won't make his move…not yet at any rate, I told myself. The air whooshed in and out of my lungs, slowly, carefully, getting all the oxygen in the air along with some gasoline unfortunately. Without the cloud of panic and more oxygen, I started to move faster.

Not even the ringing of my phone broke my stride, "Karen speaking,"

"VOOOIIII! What the hell are you doing Karen?"

"Can't talk now…just spill…beans" I gasped holding the phone a inch or so away from my ear,

"There was a breakout at one the jails here in Italy. The trash is Mukuro Rokudo and his two henchmen along with some other trash. The last we heard they had gone to Japan, don't know which area, city, nothing,"

Can't be, oh crap, "When did they break out?"

"Why're you so curious?"

"Just tell please, there's some stuff going here in Namimori and it might be them,"

"Be careful. They broke out a couple of days ago-ish"

"ISH!" I screamed, "MY FRIENDS ARE BEING TARGETTED AND I MIGHT BE AS WELL!"

"Ow. You have quite the lungs on you," _of course, I'm your little sister, what do you expect?_

"At any rate, they're below your level, except for Mukuro Rokudo. If you see him, I want you to turn around and run as fast as you can,"

"Roger, over and out. Love you," I hang up with my thoughts racing to Tsuna and the gang, _be safe you guys. Please._

_What was that she said about her friends being targeted? _

"Shishishi, did your sister hang up on you?" Belphegor's voice carried a suppressed giggle.

_Please be safe, Karen. Don't get yourself killed,_ Squalo ignored Bel, _Come home alive in one piece._

"Guys!" I yelled. Gokudera was lying down in puddle of his own blood, "Is he okay?" I asked as an ambulance pulled up.

Thankfully, Gokudera's injuries weren't fatal, but he was going to be, or supposed to be, resting for a long time. Knowing him though, the instant he found out Tsuna was in danger; he was going to be up and moving, regardless of what's good for him.

There are a lot of things that I think are nuts, but Tsuna's, or more accurately, Reborn's proposition of the going after the ones responsible for the terrorism, is insane, but acceptable. This problem isn't going to go away if we sit around. As Reborn had already contacted Dino with a lot more information than I had just gotten, there was no need for me to share the information.

"Ah," I paused,

"Something wrong Karen?" Takashi glanced at me,

"Eh? No, nothing," I smiled. It wasn't nothing. Hibari had gone after the Kokuyo gang and hasn't come back yet. Could Rokudo Mukuro be behind this? _"At any rate, they're below your level, except for Mukuro Rokudo. If you see him, I want you to turn around and run as fast as you can,"_ Superbi's words floated through my head. Rokudo must be really strong if Superbi is telling me to run away from.

Tsuna and Takeshi had gone to the school to check up on Gokudera who was put under Shamal's care. Seriously, why Shamal? The piece of shit only treats women though he does seem to make exceptions for Gokudera. I chewed on my lip while I debated what I should do: do I help Tsuna and go with them to Kokuyo Land, or do I say behind. My brother just said if I ran into Rokudo Mukuro to run. Before we get to him, we would have to go through his henchmen and they are below my skill level. I'll clear those guys out, and let Tsuna and Takeshi take out Mukuro, than I won't be disobeying my brother and I will have a clear conscious afterwards with no regrets. Seemed like a perfect compromise until a lot of things came up that were unexpected.


	4. Surprise

_**Surprise**_

The next day, we all met over at Tsuna's house to prepare for our assault on Kokuyo Land. The only weapons I took were a cheap ass double edged sword. I wasn't going to use my best sword for cockroaches. From the way everyone was acting, a person would've thought we were going on a picnic; Takeshi had even brought food and drinks.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to try the sushi. Damn MM, I'm going to get her for that. She's lucky she just had Bianchi to deal with. I wouldn't have killed, but I would have fed her Bianchi's Poison Cooking and added some Varia trained attacks.

After the situation with Birds, I don't remember much. All I know is if I see the bastard again, he won't live another day for involving Kyoko and Haru in this. It's pathetic how Gokudera took Birds out with one, half hearted kick to the face.

The man that claimed to be Rokudo Mukuro wasn't him. From what I understand of the descriptions of him, he struck me as the kind of person who wouldn't let anyone photograph him, also, Mukuro seemed like someone around my age, and this guy was at least twenty. I was still fourteen years old, but everyone else was fifteen; my birthday is December 31.

For some reason, I recognized him, but where, I couldn't remember just yet.

When he brought out his giant mace/ball, I remembered: Lancia, the strongest man in Northern Italy. Takeshi had already been hit, back up and figured out the secret behind Lancia's attack. The grooves in the ball twisted the air currents, causing anything close to them to be pulled in, and hit.

Just after Takeshi said it, Lancia threw the ball again, and I felt the air currents. The pressure was crazy, even with the sword stuck in the ground as an anchor; I was still getting pulled in.

"Karen!" Takeshi yelled,

"Crap!" I was stuck with the ball coming at me for a direct hit, which would kill me if it hit. Crap. Crap. No way in heaven, earth or hell, am I going to break my promise to my brother to come home alive and in one piece. Using the anger as propulsion, I managed to get out of the way of the ball, but it still took out my arm. Laws of Nature 00001: if you get hit by a force stronger than you, you obviously go down with whatever part was hit. Pain lanced up my arm. It was broken by the ball and the momentum of the ball pulled me down. Without thinking, I tried to use my broken, right arm to stop the fall. Instead of just having a broken upper arm, I now had a broken hand and wrist with the broken upper arm bone. My arm buckled, and my head hit the concrete. Blackness engulfed me before I could feel the sharp, brutal pain of broken bones and cut nerves.

When I finally woke up again, Tsuna had kicked Mukuro's butt into Vendicare. No one had escaped unscathed, but Tsuna was in better shape than the rest of us and everyone was better than me, who had to stay in a full arm cast for a month or two. What fun. For the first time ever, I am intimidated by Hibari Kyoya. The bugger had been beaten to an inch of his life, and he fought Mukuro until he was unconscious, and I thought Xanxus was insane. Tsuna is crippled by muscle pain from the Rebuke Bullet, Takeshi has a cracked rib or two and Gokudera has finally started resting properly. I am the one who didn't fight a lot, and _I'm_ the one with an injury that was going to take the better part of two months to heal! What kind of messed up world is this? Don't answer, I already know how messed up this world is; it has to be to have guys like Lussuria, Bel, Mukuro, and Xanxus. Of course my brother is somewhat messed up, but that is just because he wants to improve his swordsmanship.

If I had been with the Varia with this broken arm, I would've had to amputate it after giving Levi a couple knocks to the head. But I'm in Namimori with good friends, so I'm going to heal, and be back in top form.


	5. Karen's First Song: Hear Me

_**Hear Me**_

Locked in a deep, black night,  
I am frozen  
With fear and anger, yet I'm empty.

Can….When will someone hold me,  
Hold me and release my frozen heart,  
Will someone release my frozen heart?

I can't unfreeze myself,  
I need help,  
Help to release myself from this winter night,  
Can someone wake me?

If you can hear me,  
Can anyone hear me?

Can you take me to your world  
And hold me there  
Unfreeze me;  
Release me from this frozen sleep,  
Under a cold clear winter sky;

I'm watching the world pass by,  
I've had enough,  
But I'm lost in this frozen sleep,  
Will you wake me?

Will you wake me  
And set me free  
From this coldly wintry frozen sleep?

Can you take me to your world  
And hold me there  
Unfreeze me;  
Release me from this frozen sleep,  
Under a cold clear winter sky;

Can someone hear me  
Out there;  
I watch the world go by  
And don't feel it.

I can't find my way out of this,  
From this coldly wintry frozen sleep,  
I need to be free  
Can you help me wake?

I'm watching the world pass by,  
I've had enough,  
But I'm lost in this frozen sleep,  
Will you wake me?

Can you take to your world,  
And please make this coldly wintry frozen sleep go away?  
Hold me there,  
Hold me there until I find myself again,  
I hope I can be 'me' again.

Anyone out there,  
Hear me now.

Karen's First song, _Hear Me_. This song was written by me, Lara0XM, for my OC, Karen Squalo.


	6. Unwanted Surprise

_**Unwanted Surprise**_

A month has passed since the battle against Mukuro. Since then, I've learned a few new things about myself: I'm a fast healer. Three breaks to the same arm, two out of three of them were not clean breaks and I still managed to heal within a month and 3 days. I thought it was going to be something celebrated with a baseball game with Takeshi, but that was going to wait for a couple weeks. Some people were going to really pay for it. The second thing is I can learn to be perfectly ambidextrous in one week courtesy of learning to serve tables with my non-dominant hand. Third thing I've learned is Takeshi and I are best friends. He's as reliable and trustworthy as Leviathan is likely to irritate the hell out of me, but Takeshi isn't annoying though his obtuseness is exasperating. It's also just easy to be around him. Also, Tsuna is like family and strangely enough it feels right. Nana, his Tsuna's mom, has adopted me as her daughter. In a way it's kind of nice but also kind of creepy. She makes Takeshi look like a katana in the obtuse world. Finally, I'm moving into Tsuna's house. The Ukitake's daughter is really annoying.

"I can't wait to get out of this damn thing," I groaned,

"Serves you right for falling off the monkey bars," Akane, the only daughter of the family that is letting me stay with them until my tenure in Japan is over.

"Knock it off Akane," her mother scolded her, "Just four more days Karen, then you can get it off…and watch your language," she tacked on as she handed me my bento for the day. If she thinks 'damn' is impolite language, she should hear what goes on in the Varia. On bad days I've used the f-bomb after every other word. Yup, definitively moving out.

_Daybreak's Bell_ by L'Arc~en~Ciel blared, indicating someone was calling my cell phone.

"Yo, Karen Squalo speaking,"

"Hey Karen. How d'you feel about skipping school today and going to the mall?" Takeshi asked

"What's up?" I asked,

"Tsuna's in the dump, and we decided to cheer him up,"

"You mean you and Gokudera," I smiled

"Who else?"

"I don't know, I promised the junior kendo students I'd give them tips at lunch"

"Oh, okay. I'll think of you teaching those guys how to swing a bamboo sword while we're having fun". I could clearly see the smile on his face. _That Takeshi, _I shook my head; _he doesn't know the meaning of the word 'solemn'. _The prospect of skipping school was really tempting but when I make a promise, I keep them. It's really bad for my reputation if I start breaking them. Some mafia assassin habits are impossible to break when they've been drilled into a person for survival.

"Grip your hands like _this_," even with a broken hand I can still teach kids how swing a sword without chopping their own body parts off. A lot of things started happening fast, and suddenly I felt like I just got hit by the explosives in my brother's sword. _Oh shit, they're here already?_ That was fast, even for Xanxus.

"Hey, Squalo-senpai? What's wrong?" one of the juniors shook my good arm,

"Eh? Oh nothing, just feeling a little sick," I rubbed the back of my head. Good Lord, Takeshi is rubbing off on me, "sorry, I gotta get some medicine," I shot out the room.

Where did Takeshi say they were going to be? Oh yeah, the mall. When I got to the mall, destruction reigned supreme. From the gouges in the floor and shattered walls and glass windows, crater dented floors to the general havoc oriented organization of things yelled Noisy-Varia-Assassin-Passing-By.

The next day, I was just wandering around with no destination in mind aside from figuring out what it was I needed to do. A car turned the corner, and started moving towards me. That's Dino's car and I mean one of his nice ones! The kind Xanxus would go out in if it was up to his impossibly high standards.

"Oh Karen, hey," Dino got out. We were by an abandoned hospital.

"Dino? What's going on?"

"Did you know your brother's in town?" he frowned

"What? When did he…he didn't," realization dawned on me slumping my shoulders. Superbi had come to Japan and the reason can only be to eliminate Tsuna and anyone related to him that can succeed the Ninth along with his Guardians.

"So you didn't know Squalo was here?" Dino sounded confused

"I knew he would come eventually, but I ….didn't…think it would….so soon," _Crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP! What am I going to do? Where are they so I can talk them out of this?_ I didn't show my inner turmoil, only Superbi and maybe Takeshi, would be able to see it.

"How is everyone?"

"Huh?" Dino glance at me,

"HOW IS EVERYONE? Was anyone hurt or killed?" I demanded,

"No, well no one was killed, but Yamamoto and Gokudera took a couple nasty knocks, but nothing life threatening. In fact, they were just in this morning. Tsuna knows how to motivate them for training,"

"They're pissed aren't they? That my brother kick their butts," despair colored my voice

"What's wrong? Oh stupid me, of course things are wrong. You're brother is targeting your friends,"

"I'm not worried about them. They can look after themselves," they proved that at Kokuyo Land, I thought as I looked out the window,

"Than what is it?" Dino put a hand on my shoulder. How can I tell him I'm afraid? Might as well tell someone since I can't talk to my brother about it for a variety of reason with the most dominant one being I had no idea where the hell he was, nor can I talk to Takeshi since he's training.

"I'm worried Tsuna and them will…that they will…well, quite being friends with me. After all, I am their enemy,"

"If they are your friends, they'll stick with you," Dino gave me an awkward, one armed hug. It's weird to say this, but I do like Dino, not in the crush way!

"Those rings Superbi got, they were fakes weren't they?"

"Yeah," Dino looked sheepish, "the Young Lion gave the real ones to me,"

"Poor guy," I thought about Basil who was resting a couple stories above me; he couldn't have gotten away from my brother without getting seriously injured, "he was used" I stated. I could understand it but it's still kind of sick; at least he knows Iemitsu cares about him unlike a certain someone else. Xanxus knows better than to manipulate me but the same can't be said about me. I have death wishes some days since Xanxus always figures it out and comes close to throwing me out the ten story high window.

"Karen," Reborn popped up, "what are you going to do?"

"I…I don't know," was all I said when I left.


	7. More Unwanted Surpise

**_More Unwanted Surprise _**

Wandering through the town, I thought about Reborn's question. The sunset was beautiful, wonderful splashes and streaks of yellows, oranges and highlights of red and blue decorated the sky like a pattern of a kimono. Which side will I choose? I can't go against Superbi, the only person related to me by blood, who is my teacher, boss, brother, father and best friend. At the same time, though I can't go against my only friends. Takeshi's bright, guileless eyes swam in front of me. I shook my head. I can't take sides, but I can take a neutral stance. Agh! But that doesn't solve the problem of WHAT AM I GOING TO DO! I let out a sigh. Unfortunately, I'm the kind of person who 'if she can't figure out what to do beforehand, she'll make things up as she goes'. However improvising when dealing with Xanxus is like going swimming with the most dangerous sharks while bleeding a river of blood, the method to death doesn't matter if you get shot or beaten or eaten, you're a dead man either way…or woman.

I hate it when I can't do anything. I have all this information stored up in my brain due to having a photographic memory and can't utilize it any way without compromising my conscious; sitting around doing nothing is still a burden. Talk about a rock or a rock. As the Varia's informant or golden retriever and blood hound cross breed dog, it is my job to get all information related to a mission, and relay to either the Boss which is Xanxus, or the Tactical Commander which is my brother. This role entails interrogation, capture, infiltration, espionage if necessary and manipulation. Because of that role as the number one informant, Xanxus will expect me to give all information I have on Tsuna and company. A little light goes off in my head. I won't check up on anyone's training because I can't lie to save my life. Imagine that, a spy that can't lie. How ironic. But I can evade questions; when I do it with Xanxus though he comes close to shooting me.

A soft, almost undetectable breeze of air ruffles my hair. I glanced up; the black blur of someone passes overhead. The figure paused on a telephone pole. Good thing I hadn't eaten anything recently. The black leather the person was wearing was the infamous Varia uniform. The only people who usually get to see the uniform without dying are the members of the Varia themselves. The Varia training I got from my brother five years ago and the more recent ninjutsu training kicked in. Making myself invisible, I followed the assassin. He must be from Levi's squad. It was supposed to take the Varia ten days to figure out the rings were fake and mobilize, but leave it to Xanxus to know the fakes from the real things instantly. Damn him to hell and back even though he's already been there.

Brief paralysis took over my body, _if this is Levi's squad, than it must be the Thunder Guardian they're after first._ Out of all the people I've met, only one person can fill the criteria for a Thunder Guardian. A scream ripped through the evening, "HELP", Fuuta? I sprinted in the direction of the scream. Skidding to a stop at the entrance revealed the three assassins already taken out. I sighed, thank god.

"Oh Karen, you're late," Takeshi made it sound like I was late for a game

"Everyone's okay?" I asked, than I noticed I-pin had a couple of scrapes

"We're all fine, Karen-ne" Fuuta smiled.

"So you guys are the ones that took out the others," Levi stated obviously not noticing me,

"Don't hunt them on your own," Lussuria inserted as the rest of the Varia gang popped up

"VOOOOIIII! KAREN! What the hell are you doing here?" Superbi yelled

"Karen? Where? Oh what are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you guys the same," I retorted

"Karen?" Takeshi asked,

"Yeah?" I didn't take my eyes off my teammates

"Why do you and long hair look identical?"

"What KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?" I yelped, completely distracted, "Are you that dense to not tell when two people look alike are siblings?"

"Long- hair is your brother?" Tsuna shrieked,

"His name is Squalo Superbi," I snapped,

"Karen, answer my question, what are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you that and I expect an answer this time" I turned my attention back to my teammates. They were more surprised to see me loose my cool at Takeshi than me to act all high and mighty,

"_I _am the one asking the questions, Karen. If you value your life you'll cooperate," Xanxus's cool, rough voice interrupted the conversation,

"Xanxus," I stated through clenched teeth. My boss's crimson eyes locked with my steel gray ones in a silent struggle for power. Naturally, everyone but me was paralyzed from Xanxus's murder intent. I seem to have immunity towards Xanxus, complete lack of fear for what he can do. I don't suppose it has anything to do with meeting him when I was three years old and saw him get his butt kicked to an eighth year. Slowly, enjoying his moment of triumph, Xanxus lifted his fist and it started to glow,

"Run!" I yelled at Tsuna, but they were still paralyzed. My hand darted to my back for the sword I had left at home,

Salvation came in the form of Sawada Iemitsu, the external advisor of the Vongola and Tsuna's father. The Cervello appeared with an order from the Ninth. In order to decide who had the right to succeed the Vongola the two contestants must fight each other for supremacy.

"And Karen?" Xanxus smiled at me,

"I also have a direct order from the Ninth for you to support us, as our informer,"

No, "What if I don't support you as the Tenth Vongola?" I snapped,

"Excuse me?" the smile dropped faster than dead flies

"I don't support you, I support Tsuna,"

"Unfortunately, I have a direct order from the Ninth for you. It is to support the Varia in whatever way possible,"

"Since I left for Japan…"

"You are not on Italian soil; the order was for you to not support the Varia so long as we were in Italy. We are in Japan,"

_Crap, a loophole,_ "You can't make me," rebelling against the shackles he was trying to bind me with,

"You're right. I can't, but the Ninth can,"

"The Ninth?" I started,

"The order is confirmed here in this letter," the Cervello held up the Ninth's letter,

"Here's a copy," Xanxus pitched a rolled up letter to me. Catching the letter on reflex, I opened it. _God this can't be,_ "The Ninth wouldn't…" whatever color there was in my face was gone, "he wouldn't make me…" no matter what, I cannot go against the Ninth's orders. This was not like him at all; he always gave me an option. I glanced up at Xanxus, and his smug smirk told me more than I needed to know, "What did you do?" rage made me speak slowly. Takeshi edged away from me; guess I became the dangerous predator, the jaguar, Giaguaro.

"Nothing,"

_LIAR!_ I thought,

_Bang on, Karen._ Mukuro dropped in for a visit

_Can it before I can you._ He cleared out fast

"Please refrain from conjecture," one of the Cervello inserted at something someone said. I bit my tongue before I screamed for her to shut up. The paper started moving in sync with my hands, "this can't be…The Ninth wouldn't make me fight with you!" I couldn't suppress all my anger with Xanxus,

"Too bad," he said shortly, "_we're_ leaving, and that includes you as a member of the Varia," Xanxus turned around and left. I was going to kill the Ninth if he actually changed his mind from Tsuna to Xanxus and for the orders.

"Karen? What's going on?"

"What do they mean by 'you're a part of the Varia?" all of my friends questions died with Reborn's answer when I didn't answer.

"To put it simply, Karen is the person who gets all the information in the Varia, she tells them their targets location, information on the terrain and other similar things. Also, she can devise strategies,"

"It's summed up in one word Reborn," I finally inserted, "I'm a spy. I infiltrate, get information any way I have to,"

"Did you come here to spy on the Tenth?" Gokudera yelled,

"No I didn't,"

"Can't be helped," Takeshi slapped me on the back, "we're rivals, that's all," he grinned. I honestly wonder how many screws are loose in his head.

"Thanks," I said. That was an easier thought to deal with.

"C'mon Karen. We have to get going," Superbi had stayed behind, "Do you want to get a T.V to the head already?" Xanxus throws anything from wine glasses to solid wooden beams just because he can or because he's pissed. You can tell how mad he is from what comes your way. Most of the things that come my way are intended for my brother and Xanxus 'mistakes' me for him because we are so similar in appearance.

"I'm coming," I sighed, I really don't want to be interrogated by Xanxus. This was going to hurt .

"Karen? You okay?" Takeshi asked,

"What d'you think?" I asked as I followed my brother. Ten steps later, I broke into a blind run.

"Karen wait!" Superbi yelled but I was deaf to his shouts and his concern, I was blind to everything but the concrete that I was running over. The splash and swish of the puddles I ran though did nothing to placate me. Usually I can find solace in running, in stretching my muscles, but this time I couldn't. The Ninth was acting weird, Xanxus was going to try, no, will eliminate my friends regardless of what I say. No one knew how I felt and I couldn't tell anyone. Takeshi was out of the question, Superbi was out, but Dino might…no he wouldn't be able to help me; he was not to have any part in this conflict.

Thud, I collided with a body, "Oi Karen, what's going on?" I had ran into my brother,

"Nothing," I pushed myself away,

"Karen why are you….aw shit you didn't?" he groaned,

"Yes! Those are my friends!"

"I'm taking you off the mission,"

"No you're not Squalo," we had somehow arrived at Varia's temporary HQ, with Xanxus waiting, "Information Karen, now,"

"I don't have any," I honestly told him, not wanting to deal with this now.

"You must have something," Levi pressed,

"I don't," I repeated,

"Look kid," Levi started,

"FUCK OFF AND DIE LEVIATHAN!" I snapped. Storming out of the room and slamming the door behind me. Aimlessly, I wandered throughout the building. Absently, I noted it was built in the traditional style but decorated with European style. There were two levels.

Without thinking about it, I opened a window on the second floor and climbed out onto the roof. Sitting out there with my knees tucked up around my chin, I watched the moon steadily rise. The memory of the night I had watched the fireworks with the gang came to mind.

Squalo's POV

Dead silence coated the room after Karen's statement. Usually she was so quiet and well mannered we almost didn't notice her. Whatever it was bugging her, she felt strongly about. I thought it was on impossible that Karen would get attached to anything or anyone.

"What was that about?" Bel asked,

"Squalo, do you know anything about this?" our stupid boss spoke up,

"I don't…really know. She didn't say word until now". Of course that's a lie. She finally makes friends her own age and we are going to kill them.

Karen' POV

"Mind if I join you?" Superbi popped up on the roof,

"Fine," I answered blankly. Unlike Lussuria, or Lucy as I nicknamed him nine years ago, Superbi didn't feel the need to fill the silence with chatter.

"When you want to talk, let me know, kay?" he put an arm around my shoulders, "you're cold,"

"I hadn't noticed," I admitted, as I accepted his coat. The black leather was warm and soft, albeit worn from use and smelled like my brother: it hinted at the fresh air of the Italian country side and was somewhat sweaty, but it was familiar.

"I missed you," I added. Superbi just smiled, as I leaned against him. It was just like back when we had no cares aside from homework. We watched the moon rise and eventually set.

"C'mon lil sis, you need some sleep," Superbi broke off when he saw I was already dozing. I remember his arms scooping me up like I weighed only ten pounds as opposed to the hundred I did weigh.

The next day was better and worse than the previous day. No one tried prying information out of me, but at the same time I got to deal with the usual drama plus some more hostility from Levi. Levi is blindly devoted Xanxus; I wouldn't be surprised if Xanxus tortured Levi to death and Levi still tried to please him. Leviathan and I never got along due to his devotion to Xanxus and my apparent disregard. He always gets pissier (if that's even a word) every time I defy, ignore, insult/jibe Xanxus. Therefore, Levi hates me and never misses the opportunity to be more irritating than a mosquito. I wouldn't have an issue with it if it wasn't for the fact Levi made a big deal out of it, like he was now.

"Karen, I know you haven't…." now he's patronizing, going on about he how could understand I was tired, I was surprised to see them etcetera, etcetera. When he finally figured out I was daydreaming, "Look here young lady…"

"Shut up," I kicked him in the face.

"Ow, oh God, you broke my nose," he mumbled through a mouthful of blood,

"How many times have I done that now?"

"This is the tenth time now," Lussuria sang, twirling into the room. He was his usual self: weird, feminine and energetic. It wasn't that hard to tell him apart from the others even I couldn't his face because he is the only one with a lot of color on him and the only one with faux, orange fur attacked to his jacket hood.

"Here's your iPod," he tossed my jet black nano to me, with the headphones wrapped around it horizontal instead of vertical,

"You were listening to it, weren't you?" I glanced at him; I wrap the ear phones around the iPod vertically; the _right_ way.

"Of course," he grinned, "Got to make sure you aren't listening to inappropriate music," who needs a mother when Lucy is around?

"Oh, and the boss wants to see you," Lucy added. I don't think Xanxus wants to see me alive.

"Okay," I tucked my iPod into my pants pocket.

As usual, the meeting room was lit only by what little light the curtains let in and Xanxus was sitting with his back to the window. The light blinded my eyes which disabled my sight since I can only see Xanxus's silhouette.

"Karen," the anger wasn't suppressed, "you _intentionally_ didn't get information on the Vongola candidate and his Guardians," it was a statement, not a question

"I was distracted," which was the honest truth in part

Xanxus's eyebrows lifted up; I was known in the Varia for many things, a short attention span was not one of them,

"That's a little hard to believe," sarcasm dripped off his voice like a downpour

"Sarcasm is the sign of the imaginatively bankrupt," I retorted, this was the kind of stuff I got into trouble for.

"Whatever," Xanxus brushed it off, "if you can't tell us their abilities, than what about who's who?"

"Huh?"

"Who is the Guardian of what?" Xanxus growled; patience is not one of his virtues especially where I'm concerned

"Tsuna is Sky, Takeshi is Rain, Gokudera is Storm, Sasagawa is Sun, Lambo is Thunder and I don't know the Cloud and Mist Guardians." I spoke at fifty miles per hour, a new record. I can't lie to save my life and I couldn't evade his question

"You must have suspicions," Xanxus pressed, _did he hear what I just a said? Must've. _

"Better wait and see. I'm not gonna give you anything when I don't know for sure," I threw over my shoulder since I already started leaving.

"Wait a sec! Put on your uniform! And," Xanxus yelled as I shut the door,

"Whatever makes you happy," I muttered through the door. I really wasn't going to change into the Varia's uniform because it would say I have loyalty to Varia but I wasn't going to wear my school uniform since that would say I am loyal to Tsuna. I was already wearing what I was going to wear: a pair of black, holey jeans and a black and red sleeveless mock neck.

If I remember correctly, my room should number 08. I was out of it I forgot the door had knob and didn't slide open. When I finally remembered, Superbi showed up,

"What are you doing?" he looked at me like I was the nut I am,

"Memory loss. I forgot the door had a knob and I'm use to the traditional Japanese doors,"

"You really like Japan,"

"Is there something wrong with it?" I glanced at him

"No, I don't think so, but it is…well, kind of weird. You've never had an attachment to any place before," that was too true. There are some places I like, but would never call home. Well, it doesn't help either when most places you go you are on an assignment.

"So, did you come to…Aw, shit! My appointment!"

"That's what I came remind you about," he grinned, "C'mon I'll take you,"

"Put that sword away first!" I don't care if I'm late my brother is replacing his sword mounted hand for the regular hand. During the battle against Tyr, the Sword Emperor, my brother lost his left hand and has replaced it with a mechanical hand.

Time to celebrate! My cast is off but now I am grounded by the family I'm staying with in Japan for not coming back to the house at curfew. Naturally, they had to take it back since Superbi took the heat for that, saying it was his fault for not calling ahead to say he was visiting. Visiting my ass!


	8. Battles for the Rings

_**Battles for the Rings**_

"Remember Karen?"

"Remember what?" I asked my brother,

"Tonight is the first battle over the rings," _oh crap. I really don't want this to happen. _I looked away, and observed the scenery. The anxiety I had been suppressing started to resurface.

"Karen? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I grimaced, "or actually, I'm….conflicted about this whole thing. I don't want you to fight against Tsuna and the rest; I don't…want you, either of you, to get hurt,"

"Of all the people in Namimori you could have befriended, you had to choose Sawada Tsunayoshi?" Superbi demanded

"I didn't mean to! It just happened," I protested, "Look, let's not get started," I didn't want to fight with Superbi, not when we hadn't seen each other for months. Usually, silence between me and Superbi was companionable, but now for the first time ever, it was awkward. Superbi knew I had friends in Tsuna's family, and I wasn't going to tell him my best friend was the one he would be fighting. Superbi's list of priorities went like this: my person (physical and mental) came before Xanxus, but my friends came after Xanxus. I've had less stressful missions than this where I'm just sitting around doing nothing but worrying.

"Tonight, the ring battle will be Sun," the Cervello announced when we got to Nami-Middle. If I was supposed to feel anything, I didn't feel it; I was number than anesthetics.

"Care Bear?" Lucy sang, "Aren't going to say anything?"

"Yeah, WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU GET CARE BEAR?" it was awesome seeing everyone's jaws drop. Tsuna and the gang never heard me say even 'shit', while the Varia never heard any f-bombs.

Okay," Lucy was briefly off balance, "Well here I go," _Please Sasagawa; kick his ass to the moon so I don't have to put up with the new nickname._ Ever since we met each other, Lucy has come with various nicknames for me while I only came up with the one, 'Lucy'. The reason for the nickname is because he acts like a woman; a very nutty woman. He's Big Sis Lus to the majority of the Varia for the love all that's holy. The nicknames I've gotten from him are 'Kari', 'Lil Shark' and whole wad of others. I don't have an issue with the ones he came up with, but Care Bear is a no deal; I _am NOT_ putting up with a nickname from a child's cartoon about rainbow colored teddy bears that fight against a loony witch and stupid fur ball on stick legs.

Poor Sasagawa. Not only did Lucy like his body, it is incredibly rare to find a body Lucy likes and he likes a body best dead, and he was blind during the battle while Lucy could see. The stadium Lucy and Sasagawa were fighting in was boxing arena with solar lamps that mimicked in the sun in heat and brightness. Lucy was use to being dehydrated while Sasagawa wasn't. Ultimately though, Sasagawa won. I still can't get over the fact Sasagawa has a punch that can break through steel, talk about breaking down adversary with your body. Sasagawa just has a broken hand, but Lucy got shot by Mosca, so he's going to be out of action for a long time.

The next battle is Thunder. Naturally, Superbi was impatient to start his fight, no doubt drooling for the chance to deck Takeshi to hell. Thunder means Levi and Lambo. I hope the stupid cow uses his ten year bazooka otherwise we'll be having burnt beef for a snack later.

Tsuna' team one point, Varia zero. I hope Tsuna can keep up the lead.

The day of the Thunder battle bloomed dark and forbidding. Storm clouds were dancing their way across the sky. Thinking back, I should've figured it was an omen.

I can't decide if the battle was an eye opener or typical. Lambo's electrical skin, Elettrico Cuoio, makes him the embodiment of the purpose of the Thunder Guardian: to take the damage directed to the Family and return fire. Good thing Lambo used the ten year bazooka twice. First we got fifteen years old Lambo, who took Levi's shot but ran away crying and jumped into the bazooka, which brought out twenty-five year old Lambo. Twenty-five year old Lambo is hot, cool and dangerous. Unfortunately, the five minutes that the future version could stay is apparently five minutes from the first shot, so before adult Lambo could finish Levi off, he reverted back to his five year old self. If it wasn't for Tsuna's intervention, Lambo would have been fried to ashes. Fortunately for the Varia, they got the Thunder and Sky ring. The Storm battle is up next; Bel and Gokudera.

Tsuna: 1, Varia: 2 Damn.

The Storm Battle's conclusion was irritating. Bel had Gokudera on the ropes until the latter figured out the secret behind Bel's attacks. The time limit with the Hurricane Turbines was not helpful in anyone's anxiety level as the entire floor of the school would be demolished when the timers were at zero. At the end, Gokudera was the winner but Bel's 'prince instinct' kicked in and the two were wrestling over the ring. Gokudera would've been killed if Tsuna hadn't convinced him to drop the quarrel and get to safety. When the Hurricane Turbines started exploding, I thought Gokudera was a goner.

"Gokudera!" I yelled, my eyes bouncing from screen to screen trying to find him alive. I wasn't in the same observation room as Tsuna, so I wouldn't be able to tell if Gokudera was alive until the monitors cleared up. Both Gokudera and Bel survived, but both were severely injured and Bel was the one with the storm ring completed.

"Now than, the next match will be Rain," the Cervello announced. I felt like I got a hundred nukes dropped on me in one go. Superbi and Takeshi were going to be fighting. It makes sense for me to hope Takeshi wins because it will give Tsuna a boost in the contest and it means both he and Superbi will be alive since Takeshi is too kind to kill. However, I also feel I should hope for Superbi's victory, but that would mean Takeshi would be dead since my brother is merciless in battle. Now I get to spend the next day and this night stressing out.

Tsuna: 1, Varia: 3

Admittedly, I didn't start freaking out during the battle until Takeshi was deemed the winner. I already knew the secret behind the Shigure Souen sword style: each new generation added on their own movement. Due to the name Invincible Sword Style, a lot of aspiring swordsman would take on the Shigure Souen styles users; the strong movements endured while the weak movements were wiped out. More than once, I thought Takeshi was a goner, but he managed to come out top with no killer intent. He even managed to avoid getting stuck like a pig by Superbi's mechanical hand. Superbi's mechanical hand was an additional benefit from his battle with Tyr who had damaged his hand beyond repair. It was ultimately Takeshi who won the battle. By ill fortune, that was when the water level in the arena had reached the certain level the Cervello said would allow a sea monster to be released. Lou and behold, the monster was a great white shark. A person can't say the Cervello don't have a sense of humor. Takeshi being Takeshi, tried to save my brother, but was unable too when the shark took out the column he was standing on. Damn my brother's pride to hell, the bastard had to preserve his pride by letting the shark make chow out of him! Thank God Dino had his subordinates ready to rescue him. Of course, not knowing about Dino's subordinates I completely freaked out. Up until than, I didn't realize my biggest fear was to loose my brother, who was everything to me, while I couldn't do anything to help him. Another thing that pissed me off was Xanxus acting all tough and laughing at my brother when he really was upset. Xanxus will never admit my brother is his friend, or as much of a friend as Xanxus can make. Dino had to knock me out in order to keep me from breaking into the arena.

Tsuna: 2, Varia: 3

"What the Fuck were you doing Cavallone?" I demanded when I finally came to,

"This is bad," Dino muttered to himself, "Look Karen, I couldn't have you becoming shark food yourself, I mean you can't maneuver very well in water,"

"You think my training was limited to just on land? I have to…I…" my voice broke. Superbi was dead, shark food. If it wasn't so debilitating it was humorous in a sick way.

"Karen the thing is, I had snuck my subordinates in to rescue Yamamoto. Imagine their surprise when they ended up rescuing Squalo instead," he chuckled,

His words slowly formed meaning in my head, "Wait, so Superbi…"

"Is alive for the moment," he sobered up, "we're doing the best we can to help him." Superbi is alive and getting medical attention?

"I got to see him," I rushed for the door,

"Okay, okay, this way," Dino smiled.

I spent the rest of the night and the following day by Superbi's side until Dino kicked me out,

"C'mon Karen, go see the mist battle," he insisted

"But," I protested,

"The doctors are going to be doing operations all night, so fill your time constructively. You want to find out who the Mist Guardian is don't you?"

"I have a suspicion", I sound like Lambo,

"Then go confirm the suspicion!" and with that Dino literally kicked me out. _Might as well go,_ I hated to admit it, but I would just be in the way and I wanted to confirm my suspicions on Tsuna's Mist Guardian right away. Not wanting to be late for the match, I sprinted for the school.

"Karen, you showed up," Takeshi waved me over,

"Huh? What are you doing?" Gokudera snarled

Not in the mood to be riled against, "I obviously came to watch the match,"

"Over here," Bel indicated,

"No thanks," I glanced over at Bel, "if it's okay with you guys,"

"Huh?" Tsuna asked,

"If I watch with you," geeze,

"Works with me," Takeshi grinned, "nice to have you back,"

"Where did I go?" I asked, unable to keep a smile from blooming,

"Fine with me too," Tsuna added.

"Boss?" I heard Levi whisper to Xanxus. A quick glance revealed Xanxus's usual scowl but no indication of him attempting anything…yet.

The Mist Guardian revealed is Chrome Dokuro, an ally of Mukuro Rokudo or at least I'm assuming she's Mukuro's ally based on the fact Ken Joshima and Chikusa Kakimoto are with her. There is something off about her, like there are multiple things in her aside from herself. I've always been good at sensing people so long as they are within a ten meter radius. Superbi says it's because I'm psychic, but I don't think I am; I just have good intuition. The instant I saw her first illusion, I knew Mammon was going to wipe the floor with her. She would have stood a chance if Mammon hadn't used his Arcobaleno powers.

"What the?" I gasped. Mammon had broken Chrome's trident and now her stomach has caved in

"Mukuro…sama…" Chrome gasped, _Mukuro? So she is an…._ah, ow it hurts. Mist started to flow from Chrome's body,

"Karen? Tsuna? What's wrong?" Takeshi jerked. I glanced at Tsuna, he was on his knees clutching his head, and Xanxus's scowl had just deepened. The pain I was feeling felt somewhat familiar, _Oho? You can sense me as well, Karen Squalo,_ a voice slipped through my mind,

_Get out!_ I retorted,

_Huh? _

"GET OUT!" I screamed.

"Oya, oya, you have quite the strong mental capacity, Karen," the real Mukuro Rokudo appeared. I didn't say anything; I was just glad the pressure on my mind was gone, "Next time you want access to my mind, ASK!" I snarled

"You're quite interesting," Mukuro ignored my demand, "Now than, shall we continue?" Mammon had rebelled against the thought of Mukuro actually being here, in the school gym, and attacked him. I would like to think there are limits to idiocy, but when people want to deny something because it goes against their beliefs, than they be extremely idiotic and that's an understatement. _Mammon is in trouble,_ I thought to myself

_Yes, your little avaricious Arcobaleno is going to loose,_ Mukuro answered,

_Weren't you listening? Get the fuck out of my head!_

_What colorful language you use,_ he sounded like he was just going through a walk in a park which he probably was, _I hadn't intended for you to see what I'm showing Tsunayoshi Sawada, but you'll end up seeing it regardless of what I do,_ the conclusion of his thought brought an image to my head. Actually, it was a memory of his recent attempt at escaping Vendice and Iemitsu recruiting him into the Vongola Guardians. Even though he was a criminal who deserved being locked in a water tank underground, I still couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. Of course I don't pity him as he brought it upon himself but it was cruel even for a criminal of his caliber, to be just fifteen and locked away underground, where he can't hear, see or feel anything.

With a jerk, I found myself back in the present. It hadn't been just me who saw Mukuro's memories, but Tsuna as well.

"Oi, are you two okay?" Takeshi was concerned,

"I'm fine," I answered, not being to sure if Tsuna was good to go.

The mist battle progressed with the apparent winner of Mukuro Rokudo. I do not want to mess with him until I can figure out how to get pass his illusions, _kufufufu, you already do that Karen. For the entire battle, you were unaffected by the illusions since you saw through all of them,_ was the last thought I got from Mukuro. He collapsed and released Chrome. I don't know if I should be surprised that Ken and Chikusa abandoned her.

The thing that is really irritating me is Xanxus's confidence. Now that the number of rings is tied the next battle will decide everything and he's completely confident he will win.

"The next match will be Cloud," a newer Cervello announced. So that's why Xanxus is so confident, Gola Mosca, the military's anti-personnel machine was the strongest of this ages weaponry however, Hibari is a human fighting machine whose lost only once to Mukuro but that loss was because of the sakura-kura that Shamal had infected him with, which Mukuro had taken advantage of. The military's prized machine versus a stronger than average human being; I don't think it will be match worth watching since it's obvious, in my opinion, Hibari will win. The Mosca is designed with average human capabilities in mind, and Hibari is Varia quality, a super human a.k.a above average by a lot. But I still got a bad feeling about the match.

Tsuna: 3, Varia: 3

"That was a long sigh Karen," Dino greeted me at the hospital,

"Yeah. The Mist Guardian mopped the floor with Mammon,"

"Wow, he must be amazing," Dino grinned,

"And creepy, brilliant and it's not just a he," I added

"Huh?" Dino raised an eyebrow

"The Mist Guardian is two people, a girl and boy. They're both the same age as me give or take a year and some months. How's Superbi?"

"Lucky you, he'll live. He better avoid missions for the next month or so," the relief that drowned me was a welcome escape from my anxiety

"But there is still some work that needs to be done," Dino added while I groaned, "and you should go see this match,"

"It's obvious Hibari's gonna win though," I protested,

"Yeah I know, but you're still going,"

"Are going to make me?" I challenged,

"You have no reason for hovering like a bat now that your brother's life is guaranteed," Damn him

"I'm staying, and that's that," I growled as I headed for my brother's room. Since I saw him come in battered and bleeding with shark bites, he looked a lot better. The little color both of us usually have in our skin was back and he was clean and properly bandaged with no salt water stinging. Wrap up his face, pull out the organs and do the rest of the Egyptian's procedure for mummification and we'd have a perfect mummy on our hands. Even though it was highly unlikely for Superbi to feel my hand on his arm, I still gave him a slight squeeze to let him know I was there waiting.

The relief of stress I'd been feeling since the Varia came to Japan made me realize how tired I was and just how stressed I had been for the last week. Unable to help myself, I put my head down by my brother's hand and fell asleep faster than Superbi cuts through bamboo.

"WHAT? Are you kidding me?" Dino's shout woke me up; it was after the Cloud battle. _Holy shit, I slept through the night and day?_

_Good evening sleepy head, _Mukuro commented

_I don't want to hear it out of you, who slept until now._

_Materializing myself and using…_

_Illusions for the length of time you did are exhausting yadda, yadda I get it._ Mukuro finally shut up; it's probably not the best idea for me to irritate him but when _I _get irritated and had just woken up, I lack diplomacy and was a force even Xanxus was cautious around.

Dino stormed, "Oh crap I didn't wake you up did i?"

"What's wrong?" I ignored his question

"Nothing…"

"Don't lie what's wrong? Hibari didn't loose…did he?"

"No…well uh-it just,"

"WHAT?"

Seeming defeated, "The Ninth Vongola was found in the Mosca's core," horror washed through me,

"The Mosca had gone berserk and attacked Tsuna's friends," Dino didn't have to tell me the rest: whenever his friends are danger, Tsuna beats down the attacker until either it gives up or is dead. Tsuna, more than likely, would've had to cut Mosca in half, and would cut the Ninth, which Xanxus would take advantage of in no time.

"The Ninth is okay right? He didn't…"

"He's not dead, but will be if he doesn't get to the better equipped hospital in time." If the Ninth didn't get there in time, he would die and Xanxus would avenge the Ninth and gain the trust of the entire Vongola; his rise to leadership would be without defiance, and even when the Vongola tried to rebel from his dictatorship, the members of the Varia would squash any resistance before it could touch Xanxus or even bud.

"What about Tsuna and the rest?"

"They're fine. The final battle is still going to take place,"

"Final…battle? ah!" The Sky battle is Tsuna versus Xanxus. Dread seeped through my joints. Xanxus was and still is a formidable fighter. Since the Cradle incident, his anger, which is the foundation of his strength, has been stewing and increasing for eight years. No doubt Tsuna has gotten stronger, but Xanxus was strong to begin with, I mean he had the Ninth on the ropes when they fought, and since than his power has upped by at least two hundred percent, so twice what he was before. Just thinking back brought up the memories I want to forget: flashes of Xanxus's flames, Xanxus's yell and my brother's injuries.

"Karen?" Dino brought me back to the present, "You okay? You look a lil pale,"

"I always look pale," I tried some humor. Giving me a strange look, Dino left the room. I let out a sigh,

"Karen?" Superbi's voice rasped,

"You're awake! I'll get the doctor," I turned around

"Wait one second young lady," I stopped and turned back to look at him, "You better tell me what's going on," Quickly I gave him a summary of what has happened since the Rain battle,

"Not that, I mean what's happened to _you_"

"Oh, well, where do I begin?"

"Voi", he growled softly, "just tell me why you were going nutty during the wait for the rain battle,"

"That is over and done with," I really didn't want to tell him,

"Spill it or I'll fillet you," of course it was a semi-empty threat but he would give the verbal version of fillet rather than the physical and verbal is a lot worse. Gotta choose the lesser of two evils: tell my brother about Takeshi which would end in five minutes or endure a ten hour verbal spiel,

"That sword brat is…" Squalo's eyes bugged, showing his thoughts going in the direction I did _not _intend for him to go,

"Yes he's my best friend and his _name_ is _Yamamoto Takeshi_"

"What's the difference?" Squalo raised an eyebrow

"Katana-Brat just refers to him being a young teenage swordsman while Yamamoto Takeshi refers to him as…well, what he is as a whole," I spoke slowly through gritted teeth, "to continue on your first Q, I didn't want my best friend and brother fighting each other to the death!"

"You have a crush on that idiot though," he stated,

"No I don't," I sighed

"Yes you do,"

"No I don't," I repeated

"Right," he dragged out the long 'i' sound

"Can I get the nurse now?" I snapped

"One sec," Dino had eavesdropped, the piece of shit, though I'm one to talk, "Sorry, I want to talk to Squalo first. Do you mind leaving for awhile?"

"I guess," wariness caused my vision to zoom in on Dino,

"Don't worry, I just have questions," he tried in vain to reassure me,

"I'll check on the others," meaning Tsuna and Takeshi. I thought about staying behind and doing what I do best, but Dino somehow caught me and kicked me out before I made up my mind on what to do. Absently, I wandered around town enjoying the night while my thoughts came and went like ocean waves. Without realizing it, I had come to Takeshi's place. I yearned to go in and talk to him, but I doubted he'd have the time or inclination.

The door slid open and I was busted "Sup, Karen," Takeshi grinned his usual grin

"Oh hey, just passin' by," awkward, "Your eye!" I noticed the eye patch band aid. I missed it at the mist match because I was trying to figure out the mystery of Chrome's split personality.

"Oh this? Romario's just being careful,"

"Oh, I see," thank goodness,

"Want to come in for a bit?" Takeshi offered

"No it's okay,"

"Hey, this isn't about being enemies right?" as usual, he sees right through me, "Sure Squalo and I fought," his face tightened, "and I let him die,"  
"No you didn't!," I interrupted, "the idiot choose his pride over his life,"

"You think you're brother is an idiot?" he laughed,

"Some days. Most of the time he's just loud," I couldn't help laughing as well,

"You're okay though? With him…gone," _should I tell him my brother's actually alive? _

Without missing a beat, "Yeah, I do miss him," I honestly answered, "but, well, what with him being a member of the Varia it's not unexpected for him to die…usually Varia members have a short life and to survive as long as he did is a world record," I shrugged,

"Wow, that's so different," seriousness actually came into existence with Takeshi as he looked over my shoulder at something only he could see, "well if your cool with it,"

"Somewhat," this was so easy; to be around Takeshi, to talk to him, "good night," I waved after a pause,

"Hey?"

"Yeah?" I looked over my shoulder, and Takeshi went speechless for a second,

"You'll be at the Sky match?" he eventually recovered,

"Who knows?" I teased, "Yes I'll be there, but you won't see me," I grinned.

Takeshi POV

I closed the door when Karen turned the corner of the street. What's up with me? Why did I just go speechless when she looked at me over her shoulder? She looked so beautiful. I shook my head; _Karen's just a friend, not someone I would date_. The panic she had shown at the end of the Rain battle was gone, and she seemed, relieved, relaxed even. _And what did she mean by "You won't see me"? Is her hair getting longer?_

Karen's POV

That was really nice to see Takeshi again. Of course I wouldn't miss the Sky match since it will be interesting to see if Xanxus finally meets his match. Let's hope Reborn can hit Tsuna with the Rebuke bullet, otherwise Tsuna will be used to paint the school.

I left the hospital earlier than Dino and Squalo. I made my way to the new hotel the Varia was staying in. Naturally with Xanxus, it was first class. Quietly, I slipped in hoping no one was here. That's kind of ironic when a person thinks about: here I was, planning on betraying Xanxus with his best interest in mind, or at least I think it's his best interest and the Vongola's. The Vongola doesn't need a dictator. I grabbed my double edged sword that Superbi had given me when I finally graduated his training regime. The sword was custom made by a traditional blacksmith so it fit me perfectly. The blade was straight and sharp, if chipped in some places. The belt I had for it looped around my chest and secured the blade flat on my back so I wouldn't break it if I rolled over or something else like that. Unfortunately, I was going to have to get a new belt, and the next one was going to be fine quality leather instead of this cheep shit I used.

If I knew the Xanxus, and by extension, the Varia, he was going to pull a fast stunt that would ensure his succeeding the title of Tenth Vongola. Unlike me who had some codes of honor and morals, Xanxus embodied the underworld. By no means am I an angel; I am proud but not arrogant enough to believe I am the one to decide who lives and doesn't. The anger I feel at Superbi for choosing to become shark chow rather than living is the same thing I would've done if I had been in the same situation if I didn't have anyone to live for. The anger also stems from the fact I would like to think my brother cared enough about me to put his pride aside, but I guess me seeing him get his ass kicked added to the humiliation. Oh well, time to do what I should've done when Xanxus first showed up in Namimori.

As much as I wanted to tell Tsuna good luck, I didn't; I kept myself hidden in the trees. The Cervello don't seem especially concerned with anything aside from watching the battle as they didn't try to confirm Superbi's death or thoroughly search the area. Even if they did do a search, they still wouldn't have found me. I'm not the Varia's number one spy for nothing even though I am the only one; you don't break into any facility without being the best,

_So Karen, spying are you? _Mukuro's voice slithered through my mind_ again_

_What's up with you? If you're going to say something spill it already,_

_What do you mean?_ I got the impression of a playful smile with a shrewd mind,

_Playing dumb doesn't work well with you,_

_Kufufufu, so you noticed?_

_You didn't strike me as the kind of person to just chat with no reason_

_Well, you said say something. Did I say it's a statement?_

_Question than, whatever you're thinking reveal it already_

_I'm going to posses Tsunayoshi Sawada._

_That's really freakin obvious that's your goal but Tsuna kicked your ass first time around so good luck, _I snarled. I hate beating around the bush_ so what is it you want already?_

_How much do you hate me?_

_I don't hate you. Maybe some of things you did, irritate me but I've done similar things so it doesn't have any meaning coming out of me,_ I know I'm a hypocritical person, but I still keep doing what I do

_You caused those things you didn't do them,_ Mukuro corrected me. Now that's weird, _And what did you say about hating to beat around the bush?_

_I didn't say anything about that!_

_You were thinking it,_ is there such thing as psychically beating a person to a pulp because I was really starting to think it,

_Yes there is, and to answer your first question, how opposed are you to becoming my student?_

I had no answer to that because that was last thing I would expect him to ask me of all people, _Is that really so surprising? _He asked

_Yes it is because I'm loyal to Tsuna and I don't see how you could gain an advantage over him through me aside from getting info, but you already do that with perfection,_

_You're shrewd, and that's why I want to teach you how to use illusions. You have a lot of potential in that area and I believe it will benefit you in the end_

_How does it benefit _you _though?_

_I just want a favor from you. You're the kind of person to keep a promise no matter what._

_Where is this going? _Now he was making me wary

_I'm just asking you to protect Ken, Chikusa and Chrome…I guess I come as a part of that package._

_WHAT? _I half yelped, half yelled,

_There is such thing as mental ear aches,_ he groaned

_You're going to teach me illusions so you can keep your sorry hide, along with your gangs?_

…_Yeah,_

_Fine_. How can I say no to someone like Chrome? She was so cute and innocent, unlike me.

_Oh yeah, and just to let you know, if the Varia tries anything funny,_

_Which they will,_ I interrupted

_Lancia will help out, _

_Lancia?_ I thought, than the image of tall, but muscular man with a big steel ball popped back into mind. My arm that had been broken twitched slightly at the remembered pain.

_You don't like him?_

_No. The him you weren't possessing I do like, now shut up so I can concentrate,_ Mukuro actually shut it.

I had set up cameras around the hospital Kyoko and the others were at. The camera's video stream was linked only to my watch, a gift from Lucy. Superbi and Dino had just arrived. Not long after they showed up, Xanxus got frozen again in the Zero Point Break Through First Edition. Seeing him frozen brought back a lot of memories.

_Screams tore the air as Superbi pulled me along behind, "Hide in here and don't move, no matter what. Got it?" his eyes made me say yes, just to reassure him I would be safe. Time passed, and people kept saying the Varia was attacking, "Find the Ninth!" _

_Superbi leaning against a pillar injured, bursts of the Flames of Rage lit up the deep, dark, damp underground labyrinth, the Ninth standing tall and strong but sorrowful, Xanxus's yelling ringing in my ears and head._

I shook myself the past wasn't going to help here. Turning my back on Xanxus, I headed for the hospital where the Varia would strike to eliminate anyone who would stop Xanxus, even if they were five or ten years old. Now is one of the many times I wonder why the hell I work for the Varia. I can it is to do my best to help the Vongola, but I do the same things I do in the Varia as I would working directly under the Ninth. I can say it is to keep my brother safe, but that doesn't work because the only way I can really protect him is to be there with him doing the assassinations and there is no way he would let me go with him. Honestly, I should change who I work for but I guess I would be doing the same dirty work regardless of who I worked for so since I already dug myself deep into the Varia, I'm staying there.

Slowing down, I inched my way to the most likely spot the Varia would strike from and hid myself there. Not even ten minutes later the men showed up. _Wait for it,_ I thought, breathing in the chilly, gasoline filled air to calm myself. Carefully keeping myself in the shadows I crept towards the door. Just as their hands touched the handle to door I took out two of the ten with karate chops to the neck to paralyze them. The rest I had to fight against. Swing low hook, jump back a foot, kick low to hit their knees. These men may be second only to the commanders of the Varia, but I didn't break a sweat even fighting against eight of them. Superbi taught me well; dodging Xanxus's projectiles helped as well. That was ironic; the things Xanxus did in irritation just made me a stronger, more experienced fighter.

"I guess you don't need any help over here," Lancia's eyes bugged,

"Nuh-uh. Though we're going to need help over at the match fields but take care of any others please" I was already taking off in that direction

"Uh wait a sec!" he yelled

"Later," was the answer I gave him.

By the time I got back, nothing had changed. I shook myself for the second time, but the memories kept clamoring for my attention. The last time I went down to the labyrinth was just after Xanxus was freed. I don't know who it was, but I'm pretty sure it was the Ninth; or at least I wouldn't be surprised if it was him. The Ninth loved Xanxus as much as he had loved his other sons, more so in the fact he adopted Xanxus.

Everyone in the observation cage were insisting the Cervello let them out; they must have forgotten the rule that the match was not over until the one carrying the sky ring had to collect all of the Vongola rings. Bel and Mammon showed up with all the rings. I don't want to think of what they did to obtain them. Tsuna was so exhausted he could barely move. I glanced briefly at the infrared lasers that kept everyone in the observation cage. I should operate under the assumption the lasers had been tampered with. That way I won't be backed into a corner with no hope of assistance if the lasers were tampered with. Good thing I did.

Bel and Mammon showed up with all the rings. _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ I thought to myself. Tsuna's Guardians must have given all their rings to one person who was defeated. Crouching low to reduce the area air had to flow over me, I prepared to fly. The flames from the rings melted the ice encasing Xanxus. After putting the ring on, he started coughing up blood. _Not good,_

_You think?_ Mukuro popped back in,

_The next time I want to talk to you, I'll let you know,_ I growled. The Varia has finally rebelled, "Fifty members of the Varia are coming," Bel declared, while I stifled a laugh, _keep dreaming._ The second last squad made an appearance, but looked like they got hit by a metal ball, which they did. Ignoring them I turned my eyes above and behind the collapsed Tsuna. Bingo. Putting all the power I could into my legs, I shot over to the remaining squad in five seconds which is a new record for me. These guys were tougher than the others who I had used my one-two attack; now I had to use my one-two-three strike, "Anybody else?" I glared at Bel who wilted like a flower with no sun. A person would think I was shark baring my jaws.

"Give," the commanders raised their hands in surrender.

"Tsuna!"

"Tenth!" Takeshi's and Gokudera's voices cut through. I whipped around and ran over, only to find the turd had just passed out from exhaustion. Shaking my head in affectionate exasperation, I muttered, "Don't you guys scare me like that again."

The next day, we all met at Take-sushi for a party, with the outward reason for celebration is Lambo's recovery and winning the 'sumo' tournament; the brat should stay asleep, and the actual reason being celebrating the victory over the Varia. Xanxus is probably steaming mad if he's finally woken up. I'm sending up my prayers of gratitude for not being in Italy, and salvation for the poor people who get to be Xanxus's punching bags.

Lancia had to apologize to me for breaking my arm, "That was my fault. Keep regretting it and you'll be catching up on old times with your Family,"

"Okay," he smiled. I knew it. The guy is a big softy once you get Mukuro out of him _I heard that,_ Mukuro's irritated voice drifted in only to run into a psychic brick wall.

The party began, and apparently I'm accepted back into the circle of friends, though Gokudera insists on being an ass. Oh well, when isn't he, and when isn't Tsuna freaking out about being the Vongola's next boss?


	9. Ten Years Later

_**Please read and review.

* * *

**_

_**Ten Years Later**_

"I really don't want to kill you Karen-chan, but unfortunately…" _Unfortunate my ass_, the silver haired woman thought to herself as she scanned the circle that was slowly closing in on her. Even though she doubted Byakuran would notice her Mist flames building up in her ring but better safe than sorry so she kept them way below radar. Ghost and Daisy she knew shouldn't have trouble with but it's the other ones, primarily Byakuran that worried her.

Byakuran honestly didn't want to kill the beautiful, brilliant young woman that he had come to view as an equal but she saw and now knows more than she should; information she would relay to her boss and who is his enemy. She would never help him, not over her family, friends and lover; all of whom she would give anything to protect.

_Karen, _Mukuro Rokudo's words floated into her head the same way they have for ten years,

_Don't interfere yet, _Karen softly whispered

_But,_

_Look, I can't focus if in you're in here nattering. I need to focus! _She didn't mean to so tart with him but she just couldn't focus between talking with him and fighting. The real Funeral Wreaths were above her level and if she was going to get out alive and report to Tsuna she had to stay on her toes. A sudden desire to move to her left allowed her to avoid a stream of invisible storm flames, NOW! She thought, and without prompting Mukuro enhanced his student's illusions as she released Aida, a Mist Kingfisher. Three of the Six Funeral Wreaths were out from the sonic boom Karen and Aida created: Zakuro, Bluebell and Torikabuto. Not missing a beat, Karen released her Squalo Piccolo Pioggia, Little Rain Shark, who quickly chewed Daisy to the point he couldn't fight but the shark was annihilated by Kikyou's vines, _just like a boa constrictor._ Without pause for Kikyou or herself to recover, Karen whipped out her ninjato smothering it with Rain flames concentrated into fine, imperceptible points. Kikyou dodged to the left of the blade but Karen's smile distracted him, "What the!" he felt sharp points stab his chest but there was no pain. Before he realized it, he was down.

"My, my Karen-chan. You're a handful. How on earth does Xanxus deal with you?" Byakuran disguised his distress with his comment. He first met Karen at an American engineering university. Byakuran has only ever admired her from afar, the lithe grace and strength in her movements, her quick mind that was more than photographic memory and her kindness towards him even though she knew she had to stay away from him. Even if they had gotten close, they would never have been more than friends as her one and only best friend was also her boyfriend, the one she's been dating for almost eight years now. If it wasn't for youth, a proposal would have come out six years ago. For all that apparent diplomatic skill and friendliness, Karen was as fierce and dangerous as a jaguar, _Giaguaro,_ Byakuran thought of the young woman's underground name.

Karen didn't answer; she just lunged, using her long limbs to give the illusion of her aiming in one direction but actually going in the opposite direction. Even Lussuria, who has experienced this combat style in almost every sparring match he and Karen did was never able to counter it but Byakuran did_. He's had a lot of experience with this_, she thought, improvising tactics as she went but neither Byakuran or Karen were able to land blows on each other.

"Knowing all the alternate realities sure helps huh? Byakuran." Karen finally spoke aloud

"Yes it does," Byakuran's cheerful smile hasn't been present ever since he found her _in_ the Millefiore Headquarters where she saw him and his Real Funeral Wreaths, "it also helps to tell me about your Vongola Ring," his statement allowed him gain a brief, split second advantage over Karen but she recovered and evaded the fatal blow. _How could he know about my ring? _Only the Seven Vongola Rings, Sky, Rain, Storm, Sun, Lightning, Cloud and Mist were known to the public and even in the Vongola, only the Tenth Generation Guardians and the Ninth Vongola Boss knew about the existence of the Misty Rain Ring. _But of course, this bastard has access to all the alternate realities, so I must have revealed it in another time. Damn it!_

Mukuro was going nuts. Here he was stuck in a water tank in Italy while Karen was in Japan fighting for her life against impossible odds. He loved her as a sister, and Chrome loved Karen as an older sister and role model. The only thing he could do was help Karen power up her illusions and to retain the information she obtained for future use.

Finally, Karen espied an opening in Byakuran's defense and moved in for it using her Sky flame boots. Byakuran, caught off guard by the display of Sky Flames, felt Karen's blade cut deep into his side, clipping a lung. However, he released a white dragon from his Mare Ring. Karen's back was wide open and no amount of Dying Will Flame was going to keep her alive. Just as Karen danced back from Byakuran, the white dragon pierced her through the center of her chest. Surprise danced across her features.

Karen felt pain rip through her chest. The dragon creature had clipped her heart. Without stopping, she released Kaida, her Mist and Rain flame hybrid jaguar, from her third box. Kaida's mouth found the collar of Karen's bloodstained, indigo dress shirt and swung the dying woman onto her back and raced for the Vongola Headquarters in Japan, using both Mist and Rain flames to increase her speed. The speed her master's blood beating out made the box weapon realize her master wasn't going to live even if they got to the Vongola now.

"Kaida," Karen's voice rasped, "take these and get them to Tsuna," Kaida allowed Karen to put her three box weapons, a single ring, a memory stick, and a small camera into the jaguar's mouth.

Karen's role in the Vongola was publicized as Intelligence but only the Varia's commanders, Tsuna and company, and the Ninth knew about her real role. Her real role was the mandate of the Misty Rain Guardian, the hidden support of the Family, the one who could, depending on her flame types, replace any one of the Guardian's and given the right ancestry, even become the Vongola Boss, Undicesimo.

Tsuna felt his hand jerk and the pen he was holding shattered, scattering ink all over the documents he was reading and all over his clothes.

"Tenth?" Gokudera looked up in dismay,

"Its fine Gokudera-kun" Tsuna grabbed a cloth to start whipping up but a sharp chink and crack distracted him. The sharp sound came from the picture of him and his friends on his desk. Precisely across the section that Karen was featured in was hole through the glass, as if someone just stabbed it in her chest. A sharp pain caused the young Vongola Boss to stumble, "She can't be!"

"TENTH!" Gokudera yelled as Tsuna sprinted out of the office. Following Tsuna, Gokudera glanced out a window and said, "oh God". The unmistakable flash of indigo Mist Flames and blue Rain flames streaked towards the building, reflecting off the unmistakable silver hair of the Misty Rain Guardian.

"KAREN!" Yamamoto's voice ripped through the air as he sprinted towards the jaguar. Takeshi saw Karen's grip on Kaida's fur slip and with a gross sense of slow motion, she fell. Kaida stumbled trying to keep her master on her back but failed. Karen was dead before she hit the ground.

Takeshi turned Karen over, and found an almost perfect, bloodstained circle through Karen's chest. Blood still drained out of the fatal wound, staining her beautiful silver hair. "Karen?" he shook her shoulder desperately, "Karen c'mon," everything in his being rejected the thought that beautiful, clever, reliable, strong Karen would be killed, "KAREN!" he screamed as the rain that had followed Karen home drenched the young Japanese man and washed Karen clean of her own blood; the requiem rain.


	10. Present

_**Reveiw please

* * *

**_

_**Present**_

"What? Reborn's missing?" I asked when Tsuna showed up at the doorstep,

"Yeah, he got hit by the Ten Year Bazooka and five minutes have passed, but I can't find him anywhere," Tsuna's eyes were frantic,

"Couldn't it be possible he was replaced elsewhere away from Namimori?" I cocked my head slightly,

"Yeah, well, it's already been almost two days now so and I never saw a future version of him…." Warning bells were going off. For someone like Reborn, it wouldn't matter if he was in Canada or the middle of the Sahara Desert, he would still get back to his student within twenty four hours. The same thing, more or less, happened when he was training Dino just five years ago incidentally, "I'm sure Reborn will show up, but I'll give this family a heads up, kay?"

"Thanks Karen,"

"Sure thing Tsuna," I grinned. This had me worried; Reborn not returning after the five minute limit of the Ten Year Bazooka. The Bazooka might have malfunctioned and Reborn is unable to return but that was too big an 'if'. Giannini, even with his questionable abilities at the moment, would be able to repair it enough that Reborn could come back. Funnily enough though, it's the lack of a future version of Reborn, like Lambo's future self. Absent mindedly I chewed on my lip while leaning against the front door. "Hey Karen? Are you okay?" Mrs. Ukitake was concerned again,

"Kinda, um, Tsuna's little brother is missing so do you think you can keep an eye out?" I lifted my shoulders,

"Of course, what does the boy look like?"

"Extremely short about 2 feet tall, spiky black hair, big black eyes, about two or three years old" I listed off things that popped into mind without saying the baby dresses and acts like a hit man, which he is but Mrs. Ukitake didn't need to know that.

Next thing I know, Tsuna and Gokudera have disappeared. Everyone is frantic about where the three of them went. Takeshi was his usually laid back self, saying they would show up in their own sweet time. I could almost hit him with his own bat! I'm willing to bet my life savings (I'm way over a million in Canadian dollars already, and not all of it was obtained risk free hence the high sum), that all three of them, Tsuna, Gokudera and Reborn were shot by the Ten Year Bazooka. The points of concern are 1) no Future Versions have not shown up and 2) IT'S BEEN OVER FIVE MINUTES SINCE THEY GOT SHOT! Guess I can just trust fate and luck, two things I don't trust, and hope, which I don't like to do when I need to do something, they can come home safely.

"Karen-chan!" Kyoko came running up to me in the hall. I had long overlooked her usage of '-chan' even though it irritates the hell out of me, "Do you know where everyone is?"

"Everyone?" I asked,

"Yeah. Oni-san has gone on a trip to look for Tsuna-kun and the rest,"

_That's a little extreme but Ryohei embodies the word,_ "Don't worry, they're just fine. They probably got dragged off for training,"

"You mean the sumo wrestling?"

"Yes," I forced a smile, "it's all cool,"

"Why aren't you with them than?" Kyoko swallows whatever her brother throws her way, but she's perceptive. I wonder if she just swallows her brother's stories because she wants to believe them. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she has Hyper-Intuition.

"Uh, I didn't want to go," I answered lamely,

"Oh, okay," she smiled. Like Ryohei, I can get her to swallow anything.

I sighed. This was stressful. Since I've gotten away form the Varia, my stress level has had more ups and downs and swirls and loops than all of craziest roller coasters combined. One day I'm relaxed, than Mukuro shows up who gets kicked into Vendice. Than I start to relax only to have the Varia show up and have my anxiety level goes up a couple notches, than go down and back up. Just yesterday I was chilling to my new Hitomi Shimatani album and now I'm stressing about Tsuna being stuck in the future.

My intuition started wiggling: some one was watching me. Snapping out my thoughts, I controlled the primitive instincts to run while making use of the enhanced senses adrenaline produces. I scan the sky above me, no sign of anything living or dead aside from street lights and the color streaked sky. To the sides was nothing but buildings and streets. Of course, nothing can come from the ground since it is pure concrete for a foot or so, or so I thought. The concrete began to groan and crack. Jumping back revealed a stick of dynamite blowing. Than from above, came a familiar purple bazooka.

One second I saw the bazooka and the dark barrel, than there was more blackness and the sense of time racing ahead and finally, blackness. Lying on my back on a slab of metal, I was in a coffin like box. From the smell, it was stainless steel. But it also smelled like something dead had been in here. Since my eyes finally adapted to the shadows that encased my body, I noticed a slip of light directly above my head, and to the left and bottom. Slowing down my breathing, I felt around the sides of the wall with my hands and feet. The bottom of the drawer I was laying on had barely discernable cracks along the sides. Kicking the door of the box or cupboard with hands revealed hinges along the right side and the fact that the slab I was lying on moved forward and back. Bending my legs, I pushed against the wall, using my hands to apply force to the door. It took me a couple of tries but I finally pushed the door open. Wriggling out like the work I didn't want to be revealed a morgue. Now this is a nice thing to learn about the future: you're dead (heavy sarcasm usage).

"What the?" a voice rippled with shock

Whipping around revealed a really tall Fuuta, "Okay, this is not what I signed up for,"

"Karen-ne!" he grinned in delight

"Se-seriously," I averted my eyes from Fuuta to downward and got Giannini who was the one speaking "another one".

"What's going on?" I asked


	11. Jump Forward

_**Jump Forward**_

The complex I am in is really _complex._ There are so many basements, and it's all contorted. One minute we are heading west, than we switch to the east and back again, only to head north. Fuuta was jabbering about how Tsuna and Gokudera showed up with Lal Mirch, a member of CEDEF. Now apparently, Takeshi, Haru, Kyoko, Lambo and I-Pin have joined the mixed, _"WHAT! _Takeshi and Kyoko?"

"I don't really know what's going on either," Fuuta lifted his slim shoulders. Fuuta goes from a cute ten year old to a very attractive twenty year old, "First Tsuna-ni and Gokudera show up, than Yamamoto as well shows up. Right now everyone is recovering,"

"Recovering from what?' I rudely interrupted,

Instead of getting offended, he just as smiled at an inner joke that I didn't figure out until later, "They were fighting,"

"Good Lord," I shook my head. No matter where, or when, Tsuna always got himself wrapped up in fights,

"Tsuna-ni just has an injured arm, but Yamamoto and Gokudera got fried,"

"Levi Volta kind of fried?" I asked,

"Kind' a worse,"

"It's hard to beat incineration," I pointed out,

"Well, rather than getting incinerated they were interrogated," _What are we in now?_

_Obviously you're in the future,_ an expanse of grass and blue sky opened up in my mind,

_Mukuro,_ I commented, _I believe this is the first time you've done this,_ and I was distracted by how tall he was, still rail thin, with long hair? _What's up with the long hair?_

_You are nine years, ten months into the future, and you're asking me about my hair length?_ Mukuro shook his head as if I was the only person on the planet who would notice or even think about hair length in the situation I was in,

_So what do you want?_ I hate beating around the bush, vaguely noting the Ten Year Bazooka missed ten years by two months,

_Just checking up on you. Making sure you're adapting,_

_If I didn't adapt to surprises, I would have been out of a morgue faster than I just was, except it would be into a grave._ Mukuro flinched and one of his memories flickered: _a silver haired woman was lying in a pool of her own blood, concentrated around her chest. Her eyes were closed but from Mukuro's memories her eyes were steel grey (like Superbi's and mine), as if a camera was doing a super close up and then slowly backed away to reveal _my _face, ten years older, but definitely _mine.

"Karen-ne?' Fuuta touched my shoulder,

_Sorry, didn't intend to show you that,_ Mukuro ran.

"Eh? Nothing, Fuuta, nothing," he looked at me strangely, but didn't comment. Great news, someone killed me.

Okay, this is nuts. Just because I'm two or three days behind in the future from everyone else, I'm completely out of the loop, and I _hate_ being out of the loop. Oh well, time for box and ring training by Lal Mirch with Tsuna. Lal teaches me while Tsuna's getting his butt kicked by Hibari, and while Lal is nattering on about the different flames and whatnot (she lost me somewhere in the middle), Mukuro is adding his comments. When I'm not distracted by Lal, Mukuro is drilling me in illusions like I'm going to die if I don't, which I probably did,

_No, Karen,_ his thoughts were exasperated, _who killed you and how, we don't know aside from the person being a Millefiore, All we know, is you're the strongest fighter in this era,_

_You kidding me? _I interrupted again,

Ignoring me as usual he continued,_ you're a strong swordsman, and in illusions, you were second to none,_ that's a shocker (no sarcasm used),_ and you're smart. Of course, if it was a contest of brute strength, you would loose to Xanxus,_ Mukuro continued,_ but you're sharper than diamond and that's your strength, so we can only assume that your killer took by surprise or put you in an impossible situation. The bastard was actually just lucky._

_Thanks for the compliment,_

_Where?_ I could picture the expression on his face perfectly,

_The diamond part, and the entire speech _and that made him quiet for a really long time. Much to his pleasure, Lal thought I was daydreaming and as a result I got chased all over the training room to avoid her hand.

There are days where I don't know who to scold or kill. Of course, my distaste isn't just for Lambo, but Haru and Kyoko as well but Haru especially. I-pin had gotten sick, and the girls were unable to diagnose the illness properly so they had to go _out of the base when we're strictly told that to do so would be very dangerous for EVERYONE_. Of course I'm not angry with them for taking care of I-Pin; it's just that Haru has absolute zero ability of going undetected. She's so obvious even a baby would notice something was off! Why couldn't it have been Kyoko who is oblivious enough to go undetected? Naturally, Bianchi had to go out to keep the pursued Haru from leading the Millefiore to the base, and than Tsuna had to go out after Bianchi lead the Millefiore Thunder Bee Man out on a wild goose chase.

On the other notes, there are some days where I really hate Lambo. The brat had to go out of the base and send everyone into a whirlwind of panic. Once again, Hibari saves the day, using his usually excuse of the 'peace' being disturbed. When he came back, "You know, Hibari, when you're around there's no peace," I had commented. He gave me his 'bite to death' look and walked away. After seeing that expression on him so many times it doesn't bother me anymore. My love for Lambo was also tried when he almost boiled himself and I-Pin to death with the possibility of blowing the Vongola base to kingdom come and _again_ Tsuna had to step in.

On more cheerful notes, now that my basic box training is complete, I'm just keeping my current level of skill up while integrating my box weapons into my current style; my box weapons happen to be a Rain Kingfisher, and small rain shark along with a box that contains a Mist/Rain hybrid jaguar. Talk about playing with nature danger. How did I end up with three boxes by the way?

It may sound easy to work the boxes and rings into your current fighting style, but really it isn't. First you have to build a bond, which can be impossible as demonstrated by Gokudera and his leopard cub Uri, who kicks Gokudera's butt. Seriously, Gokudera is letting a kitten win all their fights! Fortunately, I seem to get along with all of my boxes. The kingfisher and jaguar, according Bianchi, have names, Mire and Kaida. The shark doesn't have one because it doesn't care. Just give it some human blood once in a while and it's happy. Mire, the kingfisher, and Kaida, the jaguar, are all perfectly affectionate and well behaved unlike Uri, "It's because you disciplined them," Bianchi had laughed when I asked her what the different between Uri and my box animals was, "also you four just bond." Great. I have a bond with a bloodthirsty little shark that I absolutely do not relate to at all. Out of all my boxes, Kaida has to be my favorite.

Instead of fitting the box weapons into my current style, I altered my style to suit them. Kaida comes out when I need someone to watch my back and to fight with me. Mire comes out when I need the discretion of illusions. The shark, obviously, comes out when I need brute strength and blood thirsty ferocity with the tranquility of rain; how ironic is that or does it even make sense? Apparently, this shark is the younger sibling of another Rain attribute shark box, Grande Pioggia Squalo. I bet that belongs to my brother, and if anyone wants to take a bet, I'll be my life on it. Finally, after both of us finish our preliminary training, Takeshi and I start sparring and training together.

I shake my head over my brother's video series, _The Road to Becoming the Sword Emperor._ Reborn's stated reason of the series creation was support for bragging rights. Yes my brother is proud, but he doesn't brag in the form of videos or use them as evidence. Later on, it was confirmed I knew the real reason for the creation of the videos: to try and draw Takeshi back to the way of the sword. I don't usually give up, but that's a lost cause right there. Superbi might be able to get Takeshi completely devoted for a certain amount of time, but beyond that is like trying to not freeze on Pluto without a space suit.

Strangely enough, I find I actually like Gokudera a lot better now. Apparently Takeshi knocked some common sense into him, and I like it since his tough act is now just an act around Takeshi and not genuinely meant.


	12. Finally: Infiltration Time

_**Infiltration Time….Finally**_

Finally, the Melone Base invasion starts. However, I'm not going with the gang nor am I going to see them; not soon at any rate. For now, I'm playing support for Hibari, and you can imagine the reception I got. Apparently it doesn't matter what era it is, Hibari regards me as an omnivore and wants to have a fight to the death. Since Hibari doesn't need actual assistance when he's fighting, I'm suppose to keep an eye out for any other entries, but that I sincerely doubt as the Millefiore, damn them to hell and back, were expecting to take the Vongola off guard. If it wasn't for the fact the Mafiosi were trying to invade the Vongola and wipe everyone out, I'd feel sorry for who they are going to be meeting, and by now, already are facing. Dull rumbles, imperceptible to anyone without training for tracking, travelled up the thin soles of the dull, black leather boots I was wearing. The thin soles offer enough protection for my feet without making a noise or blocking the signals a person can get from the vibrations of the earth. I know it's crazy to wear black leather on Varia missions, but I do anyways since I keep my leather dull and not shiny like wannabe bikers. I only ever wear leather at night; to do so during the day would be inviting the Sahara Dessert into your clothing.

Keeping one half of my brain on my surroundings, the other half wandered over to how Tsuna and the gang were doing. I've mastered the art of the multi-thinking, though my current limit for number of thoughts is two. Straying from Tsuna and the gang, I scanned Chrome briefly; she was doing fine, mentally, emotionally and physically. I can't help but think of that girl as a sister even though we've only spent time in the illusions Mukuro creates and by psychic conversations. Whoever took Mukuro out was going to pay for two reasons: one, he hurt Mukuro severely and two, he almost killed Chrome for Christ's sake! Thinking of Chrome brought Mukuro to mind. It was kind of funny, but cute how those two seemed joined at the hip. Chrome can't completely live independently without Mukuro, and Mukuro can't exist without Chrome. Both of them are devoted to each other, and there is an amount of trust. I can't think of anyone better for Mukuro than Chrome, or vice versa. Unable to help myself, my thoughts wandered down the path I'd been trying to avoid: Mukuro's sudden, complete disappearance. At the time Mukuro disappeared, I caught a flash of a foreign mind; not Mukuro or Chrome since I'm familiar with them, but someone else entirely. He, the tone of the mind is male just like voices, was unknown to me, but known to Mukuro and obviously has sympathy for him.

"Omnivore," Hibari's voice crackled over the ear phones making me jump, "ready to go?"

"Yup," I ignored my nickname. 'Omnivore' is a lot better than a shark joke or any of Lucy's names though I'm going to have to convince the past Hibari to use my name. There's never any action for me when the top guns act as decoys, but Hibari was more than capable of killing them, while I would leave them alive, who could than attack the base itself with no one protecting it. At that moment, I felt a jerk in the air and for the first time, fear doused me, twice. _Takeshi, Gokudera, please be safe you two._

Following Hibari's plan to the letter, I met him, Chrome, Tetsuya Kusakabe, I-Pin and Lambo at the eastern gate that lead in the direction of Melone Base.

"You're up to this?" I asked Chrome, who just nodded, but used the mental link we had worked on to elaborate,_ I'll need some help with the illusions,_

_Alrighty _was my answer. I like Chrome a lot. She's sweet and helpful.

"I'll cover myself so I look like the surroundings", I glanced at Hibari, "so who are you guys copying?"

"These three," Hibari answered, gesturing to three, severely beaten men, "but you do realize you'll be following me once we're inside the base?"

"Yes I am aware," using my flat tone voice, "Oh joy."

Not especially notable is our infiltration so far has gone without a hitch. After entering the base, Hibari and I split away from the others.

"Karen," Hibari's serious voice caught my attention, "we need to reach the research lab. If we encounter someone, I'll take care of them while you go ahead. Also," he smiled, "don't kill or injure Irie Shoichi,"

"Isn't that the whole point of this?" I looked at him,

"I wish you didn't get yourself killed," he muttered, "let Irie explain first, and whatever he says about herbivore one and myself, be inclined to believe him. You can confirm it,"

"Okay. I'll go with the flow then," that's what I always do because it's impossible to calculate all the potential things that could go wrong, and really wrong.

"Good. Now let's go," he slipped around the corner. Almost instantly, we came into a room full of rectangular boxes made of some kind of black metal, revealed two unconscious forms, Takeshi and Lal Mirch with a man who has a bobbed hair cut, wacked up eyebrows about to deal a death blow to Takeshi. Hibari had already moved to intervene, glancing back at me, "What did I say earlier?"

"Right," I glanced at Takeshi and Lal,

"Just get moving," he growled

"Okay, okay, I'm going,"

"Karen….Squalo?" my attention was re-diverted to the man with four swords and once again, a memory flashed across my mind:

"_Hey, I'm not here to cause trouble, just passing through," a silver haired woman help up her hands in the universal gesture of peace,_

"_Than explain what a Varia member is doing on Giglio Nero turf" Aria inquired,_

"_Your info is outdated, I'm linked to the Varia, but I'm not a member anymore," this woman was irritating, but she wasn't rude._

"_Okay. If you're not on a mission, I'd like to get to know the Sword Empress a.k.a Ace of the Varia and Pride of the Sword Emperor as a human being," Aria smiled,_

"_Just because I have a reputation as a demon doesn't mean I am one," the Sword Empress smiled, relaxing slightly, but still tense. _Other memories flashed too fast to tell what they were about other than I became a friend of the Giglio Nero until I was killed which happened to be because of Byakuran. The joys of being able to read minds. I never thought I'd be able to read another person's mind as the only other people I have 'talked' to are linked up with Mukuro as the axle; the only common ground I can find is the Mist Flame.

Jerking my mind away from Genkishi's, I hurried towards the door that leads to the white round machine.

"Oh, no you don't" Hibari's voice told me he had stopped an attack directed at me. Not stopping for anything, even Takeshi and Lal, I continued on. Moving along as a shadow, I slipped in the research lab just in time to find Irie, "You are…!" my voice box ignored my brain, I knew this guy, the day Lambo got his butt kicked really far by Reborn, and all sorts of wacky stuff happened. I remember catching a glimpse a boy about my age, with red hair and glasses, the same man standing in front of me now,

"So this is what you looked like ten years ago," Irie recovered from my failed attempt at scaring the shit out of him, "I'm so glad you made it. Wait a sec, where's Hibari-san?"

"Holding off Genkishi," I answered

"Oh shit that wasn't a part of the plan! Ouch!" he clutched at his stomach, "but you kicking the bucket wasn't a part of it either," he added,

"What plan?" I demanded, "Why is everyone freaking out because I died? Hibari told me to not kill you, so you better tell me the plan otherwise…." I let my sentence hang,

"Don't worry; I'm going to tell you since your future self was involved with the plan- at least for the beginning of it. Here it is….."

It took Irie only ten minutes to give me the essential facts, but I was stunned. Tsuna, Hibari, Irie and I had been planning the downfall of the Millefiore. I was supposed to stay in the appropriate times, but due to my unforeseen death, the plan had to be altered. Still, the scope of it was- is- amazingly brilliant, but there was one hitch: wouldn't Byakuran, after being friends with Irie, have figured out Irie would betray him?

"Get behind the machine," Irie jerked his head, "two of my subordinates are going to be here right away, and they don't know anything about this, and it _has_ to stay that way, understood?"

"Got it," I slipped myself between the machine and wall; it's a good thing I'm a skinny stick otherwise it would have been impossible for me to hide there, and I didn't like hiding under desks as those were always the first places people looked.

Of course, Tsuna has to make his appearance with a bang, or more accurately, demolition. After Irie convinced Tsuna he was on the Vongola's side was when I decided to show myself.

"WHAT! KAREN…" Hayato started yelling,

"Chill," I snapped, "Irie sounds way too simple for this to be a lie,"

"Huh?"

*Sigh* "The bigger the lie, the more likely an authority is lying, the smaller the lie means he's honest…most of the time."

"That does make sense, but-MOST OF THE TIME DOESN'T CUT IT!"

"What does Tsuna say?" I groaned with exasperation. Hayato could be so stubborn and more vocal than my brother on days like today.

"…I…uh, trust him?" and of course, Gokudera automatically backs down.

No sooner did Irie say he would accept Tsuna's offer of becoming a part of the Vongola did the legendary Byakuran show up, "Hello…Karen-chan? So that's what you looked like before I met you?"

"Was that before or after you killed me?" I asked to cover up my shock; Works all the time with the Varia or at least everyone but Superbi

"Both," he answered with a smile. _He's creepy in the fact he's like a white Mukuro,_

_He is NOT!_ Mukuro's rage broke whatever shields I had,

_Took you long enough so shut up. I'll talk later._ In the back of my mind, I could sense Mukuro steaming to the point we could've fried an ostrich egg on him. I was actually thinking about seeing how he reacts to that, but I'm not going to push my luck.

Fortunately, Byakuran had turned his attention to Shoichi. Turns out, Byakuran had his true carriers of the Mare Rings hidden which isn't exactly surprising if you take into account his reasons (if I was him I would've done the same thing if I knew a subordinate would betray me). In order to obtain the Vongola Rings, Byakuran suggests using Choice to settle the scores. Personally, Byakuran's 'suggestion' is not a suggestion at all, but rather a way to legalize (if that's even possible in the underworld) his hold over the Tri-Ni-Sette. Damn him to the deepest, darkest, most torturous part of hell and he can stay there! The bastard is intending to wipe out the entire Vongola with the one blow! Saying _everyone_ had to be there! The only good thing is Tsuna and the rest will have to tell Kyoko and Haru what's really going on. I bet Kyoko will be the only one to stay composed.


	13. Train

**Train**

This upcoming Choice battle seems exiting but the pressure is insane. In order to be ready for the battle in ten days, we finally get some time off. On one hand, the time off give us time to recuperate but at the same time it gives us time to worry. Solution: occupy the mind.

Three of those ten days have already passed. We found Basil. Not surprisingly, the guy is a Rain type and dead tired and hungry enough to put a tapeworm to shame. I'm glad Basil's on our side as he _had_ put up a fight against my brother though he came out battered and lost the fake Vongola Rings. He also fought his way through the Millefiore from Spain to Japan. That's impressive for someone who just had a handbook. I'm glad the Young Lion of Vongola isn't my teacher (I hear he uses a brutal, useless training regime).

The day after Basil showed up, everyone decided that they wanted to see Future Namimori. Personally, I don't really care but I thought it would be fun, in a way. Instead of going to the Ukitake house, I headed to Takeshi's place but I ended up meeting him at the park with Lambo and I-Pin. Later on in the day, Gokudera joined us for a game of soccer. I retreated and played referee. It sure was nice seeing Takeshi and Gokudera getting along.

Chrome has joined Kyoko and Haru's circle. Since I don't have any training to do aside from staying fit I help the girls out with the household chores until Haru and Kyoko declare a boycott. I have to say I agree with them, ignorance may be bliss but it can kill and I learned that the hard way (I obviously didn't die…in my proper era at least). Eventually, Tsuna gave in, but it was just after the girl's eradicated the boycott and Bianchi used a little lie to get Tsuna to go after Kyoko. And I was right, Kyoko stayed composed while Haru broke down.

With six days to go, Superbi shows up, kicks the shit out of Takeshi and drags me and him off to training. Literally in Takeshi's case.

"Superbi! That was overkill!" I protested as he hauled an unconscious Takeshi like a sack of potatoes,

"This piece of trash lost to Genkishi, so he's gonna have to pay the price,"

"But" I started

"Shut it! And you're one to talk with you kicking the bucket before I do," I wasn't going to dig around with that. He's almost a decade older than me and has been a part of the Varia a lot longer than me as well so logically he should be the one who dies first. We continued in awkward silence until we reached a clearing in the forest.

"Here we go," Superbi dropped Takeshi on the ground not very gently, "now to wait for him to wake up. Until he does, it's back to the training for you. What do you know about box weapons?"

"Lal Mirch explained it but I got lost somewhere in the middle," I rubbed the back of my head, a habit I picked up from the gang, "all I really got was a person has to have matching waves, flame, ring and box in order to make things work with the exception of the sky attribute as it can open any box. For practical uses, I've used it training but I didn't get a chance to use in actual combat,"

"VOIII," he growled, "which bastards didn't let you fight?"

"Hibari," I admitted, "well, the future one."

"Fine, I'll get that one. Get those weapons out and rollin' little sis, we got six days to whip you into shape!" God help!

Things are actually not too bad now that I opened my box, which is the secret Misty Rain Vongola Box that only Irie and the Tenth Generation know about. The hilarious thing is my box is a jaguar which is my nickname and to top it off, she is a black jaguar. I've named her Kaida. My future self owned two other boxes, one consisting of a Mist Kingfisher dubbed Mire and a Rain shark that, if it had a name, the name would be impolite to say in public. The hard part has been trying to work with the Squalo Piccolo Pioggia, Little Rain Shark, because it so bloodthirsty vampires look vegetarian compared to it. Even I, the owner, is in danger of being consumed. Mire and Kaida are very serene and mysterious, which is expected with them utilizing mist flames, and are much more cooperative.

One thing is annoying me: for the last two days a song has been pulsing through me but I can't write it down and work on it, besides, some of the lines to the lyrics just don't work, "I love you" recurs a lot in the song but who do I love? It uses the Japanese 'aishiteru' (I love you) rather than the 'daisuki' (I like you). Sure I love my friends, but….I don't think I'm in love.

Of course, I got the shorter end of the stick in the training as I was the one who kicked the bucket. I thought Superbi was brutal and Spartan before, but he takes it beyond hell…or heaven depending on your point of view and where I end up after this life. Seriously! Just because I get killed everyone has to do overtime on training me. I mean, even the world's greatest swordsmen can be beaten by a technique they don't know, which two certain swordsman did experience, so why is everyone freaking out because I died? I mean, Superbi almost kicked the bucket but I suppose 'almost' is the key word.

Superbi seems to have more energy than usual. Probably because he's cut down on his vocalization and instead is teaching us via experience. In the morning I get drilled since I'm an early bird and Takeshi gets the afternoon. The early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese; no idea as to who I am: the bird, the worm, the first mouse or what? Any suggestions people?

"WHAT?" Superbi yelled,

Takeshi just chuckled while I smacked my forehead into my hand. Leave it to Takeshi to put a time limit on his devotion to the sword. Naturally, that irritates (big litotes here people!) the hell out of my brother. It irritates me as well, but Takeshi is Takeshi and baseball and friends are his life. I just started laughing. Typical Takeshi: nothing stops him.

Superbi's POV

I could kill someone with all this frustration, at myself, my sister and the baseball/katana brat. I'm furious because it's fuckin' obvious Takeshi is crushing on Karen and she on him, but neither of them realizes it! Karen I understand, the girl knows enough psychology to put the 'doctors' to shame but she doesn't know squat about her own psyche particularly where being 'in love' comes into play. She also doesn't see her own worth as a human being short of being a sister which is very ironic as she sees the value of everyone as human beings. Katana brat I don't get, but it might just be because he's obsessed with baseball. How can a person be obsessed with a game where a person throws a ball, another hits it and run around in a square? My third reason for fury is how I'm dealing with it. I'm overjoyed Karen has found someone, but I'm also intent on the fact NO ONE IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR HER.

Glancing over at Karen reveals the little bug to be asleep. "What's up? You worried about Karen?" Katana brat's big puppy eyes are perceptive when they bother to look,

"NO! Well yes, but when don't I worry her?" Katana brat just smiled at that,

"Yeah don't blame yah. I used to think she was invincible, but coming here and finding out she's killed…that's hard to believe but she's alive now so it's all good," he grinned.

I want to drill him about his feelings for Karen but at the same time I don't want to know, "How do you feel about her?"

"What?" Katana brat was startled by the question, "uh, she's a really awesome friend," it sounded like a question

"VOOOIII! I MEAN DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON HER!" I've lost it,

Katana brat just stared at me like I lost my mind, which I did, "I…no…"

Thunk went my head into my mechanical hand. Ow, that hurts, "Like I'll believe that crap. You look at her like she's the bloody sun!"

"A more accurate description would be the moon," Takeshi pointed out,

"SHUT UP! You love her, as in romance!" Takeshi averted his eyes to the camp fire and stayed silent. Somehow, I didn't wake Karen up. The kid can sleep through Xanxus's worst rages, but the slightest silent sound wakes her up instantly; I love my sister but I really don't get how her mind or physiology functions as she seems to deny all Laws of Nature except for those of gravity….and mortality.

Karen's POV

As soon as I confirmed Takeshi and Superbi to be sleeping I slipped out of the campsite and headed to a clearing I had found when we first arrived. It wasn't I didn't want to be watched for this private training it's just I don't want to worry about someone getting fried. The last time I tried this Leviathan got a little toasty and my arms were burned from finger tip to shoulder. Of course, last time was six years ago before there was such thing as Sky, Rain, Mist and other Dying Will Flames. I was trying to combine all three of mine into a single point. Of course I'm not channeling them into my hands after that last incident so I'm using a spar sword.

One by one, I lit up each of my flames. Rain was the easiest to bring out; Mist was just a shade harder than the Rain and I had to spend an entire three minutes on bringing out my Sky Flame. I have no idea as to how I can have the Sky flame as the Dying Will Flames tend to follow family lines but maybe it's just like my Mist flame: a random pop up.


	14. Karen's Second Song: Together

**_Together_**

Trying to stand up  
As wind pushes down,  
Rain beating us as we lie there,  
Can't we escape the storm?

Seems every time we leave a storm behind,  
Another is not far away  
To try and push us down.

Through all the storms,  
Alone we never make it  
But when we're together:

Together:  
We never fall,  
(Together)  
We always get back up and fight  
(Together)  
We fall back but surge as waves  
Til we break free.

All alone  
Each fought a losing battle  
The gusting wind wearing us down  
The beating hail having a share of the misery.

Down and cold,  
The strength to fight is bending;  
Down and beaten,  
There's no heat,  
No light.

Together we have light,  
Together we have warmth.

Together:  
We never fall,  
(Together)  
We always get back up and fight  
(Together)  
We fall back but surge as waves  
Til we break free.

Together we'll stand  
Throw your worst at us!  
We won't fall!

Yell and lash all you want,  
Together we'll never fall.

Together:  
We never fall,  
(Together)  
We always get back up and fight  
(Together)  
We fall back but surge as waves  
Til we break free.

Together we will fight!  
Together we'll stand,  
Stand as one!

Together:  
We never fall,  
(Together)  
We always get back up and fight  
(Together)  
We fall back but surge as waves  
Til we break free.

_Together,_ Karen's 2nd song


	15. After Choice: Geeze Louise!

_**After Choice: Geeze Louise!**_

Honestly, don't we get a break from fighting? And how dense can everyone get? I suppose they can be excused for not knowing when they are being invaded due to just being dragged into the mafia but honestly! When you got an enemy commander in the base you don't sit around and talk about sharks needing to move in order to breathe (how does that relate to my brother wanting to fight his own way?)

"Ngh,"

"Superbi?" I pressed my hand to my ear phone, "Are you okay?"

"Take Yuni and run. This's gonna end sooner than I thought,"

"Excuse me?" he didn't sound very good. To say bang, boom and fwoosh would be mild terms to what happened. The base went up in flames, "SUPERBI!" I screamed, burying my fingers in the ground to avoid springing into the Storm Flames and pull Superbi out of the conflagration. Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT! As much as I hated to do it, and I knew we had to leave my brother to his own devices. Zakuro better pray he doesn't meet me again because he's going to get a lot more than a sonic boom. There was no time for us to dawdle in front of the base. I didn't think about anything; the only thing I thought about was keeping a steady inhale and exhale rolling and not catching my feet on anything while keeping my senses peeled for pursuit.

A burst of static almost made me rip my headphone off, but the gasping that followed it made me stop, "Superbi?" I whispered so the others wouldn't notice. Good thing I can talk and still sprint without losing speed, "Fratello?" I repeated,

"Karen?" he gasped, I almost fainted from relief.

"You okay? Of course you are, you're talking. Don't worry, as soon as Yuni is safe I'm coming back to get you,"

"What are you? Stupid?" from the sounds of it he lost a lot of blood; not enough to be fatal but enough for him to be dazed and drowsy.

"You know I don't abandon comrades,"

"You're an idiot," I could hear the smile and affection in his voice as he hung up.

_Uncle_ Kawahira is trustworthy but I'm wary of trusting him. Hell, I have a hard time trusting anyone. All I know is we can trust him for the time being but I DON'T WANT TO! He's a very strong illusionist as he just sent Zakuro off to Mount Fuji chasing non-existent murder intents and just appeared out of nowhere; he also just takes off to parts unknown after he sent said Funeral Wreath towards said mountain. Personally, I really want to be out of this house but since Dino and Hibari are fighting Daisy I have to stick around and find out how it goes down. So I'm not getting second hand intelligence from Tsuna I tune into the wave length without anyone knowing. Yes I am nasty piece of shit and Xanxus uses a lot more Varianese words than I do (Varianese: an Italian dialect that largely includes words best not repeated in public that has different meanings example 'Shit' can mean' turd', 'darn' or 'you're amazing'). Xanxusnese is a totally different story as I have to translate grunts, body language and verbal abuse.

On the upside, Daisy is down and out (who would've guessed handcuffs can be used offensively?) but the downside is Dino got hit hard in the stomach and that is always a messy area to get hit in as every vital organ, with the exception of the brain, are located there. It's also just a messy area.

"I'm going back to the base," I said,

"That's a stupid thing to do," Reborn stated,

"I know, but I can't abandon a comrade. Ask Xanxus about it I drive him crazy," I smiled at the memory.

"_AHHH" Leviathan lost his grip on the rope and fell a good ten feet. The conclusion of this fall resulted a crack which meant he had a busted leg. His yell alerted the military to our presence. It was so tempting to abandon him. "Karen what happened" Superbi and Xanxus came on line_

"_Levi broke a leg. We should stop using the term 'break a leg' for good luck",_

"_VVOOII, get your behind out of there," so tempting but no can do. For one reason or another, I just can't leave someone behind to save my self._

_Superbi was steaming furious. Karen got fried to save Levi. Her hands had third degree burns and now have scars to match Xanxus. Somehow Karen and Levi survived the bomb Karen had rigged earlier. When the Varia finally found the two, Karen was unconscious. Levi said Karen release something blue and indigo with a subtle hint of orange, like Dying Will Flames. Everyone in the country of Italy saw the flames. _

Appearing nonchalant is easy when you have someone to talk to, and I had Takeshi, Bianchi, Giannini and Spanner to chat with. When we reached the Vongola base through the secret entrance though I almost had a heart attack and so did Giannini, "The base! The work of my flesh and blood!" The rubble that filled the hall was largely comprised of large cement chunks and thankfully, didn't fill all the way up to the ceiling. I pulled the collar of my turtleneck over my nose to keep the dust from filling my lungs. Unlike a certain someone, I take my pain in silence.

"Let's go digging," Takeshi nudged me

"Yeah. About how far away are we from Zakuro's area of entry?" I asked Giannini,

"Let's see, about three hundred to two hundred meters to the east,"

"Let's go".

The hike to the spot where Superbi was fighting Zakuro was fairly clean, just up and over the debris which is nothing new for me as I did it almost daily when I had to blast military bases in order to get to their data banks. I still had my turtleneck over my mouth to keep airborne debris out even though it settled.

"Holy shit," Takeshi looked freaked but that was nothing compared to what I was feeling. My brother's mechanical hand had been torn off its limb and was stuck in the ground. I wanted to vomit, scream and kill Zakuro. _Chill,_ I told myself, _just because his sword hand is not attached doesn't mean he's dead…I hope._

_Good. I don't want to deal with you when you're grieving_. There are two kinds of cussing; one way is the verbal way where everyone hears you, the second way is where you can't say it with words but your mind says it all and makes the verbal way seem inadequate.

_Okay, bye._ Mukuro cleared out fast.

A small pile of gravel shifted and I glimpsed a boot. I really hope this is attached to the main body. Carefully, I crouched down and shifted the rock which Takeshi joined me. There wasn't room for Spanner, Giannini or Bianchi but they were gone on their separate errands.

"Rgh," a groan greeted us,

"Squalo!" Takeshi sighed

"Fratello!" I haven't called Superbi 'fratello', 'brother' since I was ten. I shifted my body so I was by his torso

"Karen? What…the hell….are you doing?" each word was clipped with the promise of a good scolding later on

"What d'you think? Excavating you," I can always get people to smile in these situations; especially when it's my brother,

"You're…"

"Insane, idiotic yeah I know. You just figured that out?" I glanced at him, "YOW!" I yelped when I found his left arm. 'yow' didn't even cover it. It looked like a shark and wild cat chewed it off and it was still bleeding. Without even thinking I tore the torso off my shirt and wrapped it around his hand.

"Uh Karen?" Takeshi's eyes were up at the ceiling,

"My boobs are not showing," I snapped, "you're such a kid when it comes to these things," I had a good three inches from the bottom of my bra the back was a half an inch shorter though. Besides I was wearing a sports bra. Takeshi's eyes finally back to mine, flicked down and came back up. He was still blushing slightly.

"That's a good sign," Superbi chuckled and Takeshi turned red,

"SUPERBI SQUALO!" Takeshi and I in bed together is NOT happening EVER!

* * *

_**Hi everyone, i know it's been a couple days since i last updated but this was a bit of a headache. Still is, but i'm out of ideas on fixing it so please give me your opinions:)**_

_**thnks 4 reading & commmenting**_


	16. Past to Future

_**Past to Future**_

"Do your thing, Giotto," I smiled as I clasped the shoulders of my great-great-great granddaughter who jumped and spun around. Her gray eyes widened in shock that couldn't be expressed with words.

"Hey, how the hell did you get out Katherine?" G. frowned,

"I had help," I answered smoothly, "I want to talk to these two young woman," I indicated Karen Squalo and the young Sky Arcobaleno, Yuni. To keep Mare-Boy Byakuran from overhearing I used the psychic channels.

_Where to start with you?_ I smiled at Karen whose posture was defensive, _I can't hurt you, you know?_

_No I don't _Karen answered, keeping the shields up in her mind. She's impressive as an illusionist; stronger than I could ever hope to be but all of her potential is just that: potential.

_Ms. Yuni? Do you mind helping me out here?_

_Uh, Karen, this is the First Misty Rain Guardian of the Vongola, Katherine,_ Yuni seemed a little startled, _she really won't hurt you. She just wants to talk to us._

_More accurately, I have a favor to ask of you, Yuni and I want to talk to my successor._ I couldn't talk to Timoteo but Yuni can.

_Oh._ Yuni had heard me, _I will,_ she smiled the Sky Arcobaleno's trademark smile as she slipped out. It was sad that such a beautiful young girl was going to be moving on so soon.

_What do you want to talk to me about?_ Karen's carriage was no longer defensive but she was wary, too wary for someone her age to just be a normal child.

_I want to hear your resolve. Why did you join the Varia? Why are you here now? I want to know if you are worthy of being my successor._ I looked Karen straight in the eye. Her eyes are like Giotto's and our great-great-great grandson I noticed; determined and hint at the power within.

_Why would you want to know that?_ Karen frowned but her manners were inoffensive. I smiled: she has the elusive Mist and the tranquil quality of the Rain,

_Curiosity,_ I answered, joining her at her game,

_I wanted…want…to help the people I love so they don't die too soon,_ Karen's face was impassive but her eyes hardened with resolve.

_Yes, yes, YES!_ I danced; _I've finally found a successor! Ten generations later and I finally find a successor_

_Huh?_ Karen's face was priceless. I always got everyone with how I appeared dignified and serious then I do something childish, _it's not because of how you're acting, it's what you said!_ Karen commented, _I'm used to people being all dignified and childish._

_Oh, darn._ I smiled and she smiled back. We both jumped when a sudden bang echoed across the barriers I built up, _Seems Giotto released the barrier._

_KAREN! Where the hell are you?_ A voice echoed

_Mukuro!_ Karen looked in the direction, _Chill! I'll be back when I get back! _Mukuro Rokudo is the Mist Guardian. I scrutinized Karen a second time. She had the qualities of Mist and Rain, those were dominant but another quality simmered below the surface. What is it?

_Mi scusi?_ Karen was analyzing me as well,

_How many flames do you have?_ I inquired, _I already know you have two but is there a third?_

_Who knows?_ Karen shrugged, _once Leviathan said I had some strange power because I created a shield using three…uh, flame-like matter. They were blue, indigo and orange colored._ I could see her memory: a barrier of low lying Mist flames were the furthest from her, than Rain flames formed a two meter high wall and finally a barrier similar to the Resonance was made of Sky Flames.

_You have the Sky Flame as well. You really are Giotto's and mine descendent!_ I smiled, _ciao._ I returned Karen to her mind and smiled at the Decimo Generation. They really are like my generation. I hope they don't make any our mistakes.


	17. Question, Reveal and Demand

_**Question, Reveal and Demand**_

We're back in our proper time but my mind is still in the future with the apparition of Katherine. What the heck is a Misty Rain Guardian? I've never heard of that Guardian before but then again, I don't give much thought to history when it's beyond ten years ago. There's also another matter she mentioned that I don't want to think about. Good thing I can consciously suppress memories. Lock them away in a vault somewhere in the far back of my mind.

"Hey, Karen?" Takeshi's distant, almost childish voice brought me back to the present.

"What?" I glanced at him,

"The mafia…it's…not just a game is it?"

_Crap_, I shook my head, "No. No one could really find a way to actually show it to you the way things just fly over your head," I reached up and messed his hair, making it spikier, "the Vongola was supposed to be different. In the second generation things went down the toilet." and that is not too far off the bull's eye, "Maybe…we can change it," I smiled,

"Think that'll go well?" he glanced over,

"There will be some die-hard-core-Italian-Mafiosi idiots, but they can change if they have time to get used to the idea. Tsuna is amazing like that,"

"True," he smiled. After a few rounds of baseball, we called it quits. Takeshi was needed at the store and I had a phone call to make.

"Think you can do it Verde?"

"Depends on whether you have the money but silly me. You are a Varia agent, you must be rolling in it," Verde's voice irritated me, slick and contemptuous.

"Of course", more than half of it went down the drain recently though, but hey, Mammon was going to making an honest contribution here and he owes me, so I'm going to borrow some of his money. I know I'm being a really nasty jerk, but I can't resist the temptation of switching Mammon's Euros for my Japanese yen and taking both that money and putting it to something worthwhile. I can't wait to hear him freak out. I have his super 'secret' bank account access codes so why not use them once or twice or more when I need to? The little avaricious Arcobaleno has been collecting money for how long?

"It should be in by the end of the week. But if you want it sooner…."

"You need me to come over to collect data," and not just my flame data, "hate to burst your bubble but I've already collected and composed a data report on my flames and the Varia's, so please do your best and you'll find the amount requested in your account by noon today,"

"Very well". That is one less thing on my mind. I got to say, technology is amazing in what it can do but I prefer the old fashioned ways.

Sunlight turned the shadowed music room of Namimori Middle School's into a room containing rays of light. Careful of squeaky hinges on the case of the guitar, I lifted the lid to reveal the tan and chocolate brown wood of the guitar with its gray strings. I haven't played the guitar in almost ten years but I haven't forgotten anything due to the benefits of photographic memory. I can't believe how beneficial photographic memory is but it's also one hell of a curse.

The hard feel of the steel cords fitted into worn calluses. Gently, my fingers played a variation of the opening of _Together _by Avril Lavigne, but it was my own song. I'm still banging my head on the wall on the instrumental part of it; the lyrics are fine, but I'm still trying to decide if I want to model the instrumental after Avril Lavigne's _'Together'_ but my song is meant to be more energetic and powerful.

"_Trying to stand up_

_As wind pushes down,_

_Rain beating us as we lie there,_

_Can't we escape the storm?_

_Seems every time we leave a storm behind,_

_Another is not far away_

_To try and push us down._

_Through all the storms,_

_Alone we never make it_

_But when we're together:_

_Together:_

_We never fall,_

_(Together)_

_We always get back up and fight_

_(Together)_

_We fall back but surge as waves_

_Til we break free. … _

_Together:_

_We never fall,_

_(Together)_

_We always get back up and fight_

_(Together)_

_We fall back but surge as waves_

_Til we break free."_

Clap, clap, I jumped; looking stunned beyond belief was Takeshi but that was nothing as to how I felt it, "That was really amazin'. I didn't know you were musical,"

"I…haven't played in ten years," I quickly covered the keys,

"Is this your own creation?" Takeshi just plowed ahead with his usual cheerful, dense air,

"….yes," I answered. Truth be told, it's only one of three that is in the final stages of composition,

"What's the title?"

"…..Together"

"Hmmm, let me guess, you started writing this during Choice" was his answer

"Yes….Were you looking for me?" this was too awkward. Is he psychic now?

"Yeah," Takeshi rubbed the back of his head, "how….how do you tell your dad you're in the mafia?"

"I'm a bad idea for that kind of advice,"

"Yeah I know, it's a family business for you," I couldn't resist a chuckle at the pun, "no pun meant," he added hastily,

"All I can really say is…just tell him. I'm pretty sure he'll understand once you explain everything. Don't forget to add you sucked in without your consent, but you're more than likely in too deep,"

"Yeah," he smiled, "You're amazing you know,"

"Eh?" that was surprising,

Blushing, "never mind, see yeah," and he was gone, _what the heck?_

_You're so dense_ Mukuro sleepily commented; _think about how you feel when you're around him._

_Huh?_ And Mukuro was gone as well. Think about how you feel with him? You're so dense? What is Mukuro thinking? He's the one that's bloody dense! Skillet's _Those Nights _started playing from my cell. I'm not hardcore Italian or Japanese; the only thing I'm hardcore in is the sword and music. Still muttering about Mukuro's density I answered without looking at the caller ID, _crap!_

"Get your ass over here," Xanxus's voice hissed through the lines,

"Excuse me?" I can put up with his shit usually but today was a bad time, "call me back when you change your manners!"

"Just get over to Italy NOW!" he roared

"Why? I don't see any reason for me to come over,"

"We need to discuss your resignation letter. Now get back here," he carefully pronounce each syllable loaded with hostility, irritation and rage that was the signature tone that told a listener he was talking to me. And more accurately, my resignation letter was an e-mail.

"Why not over the phone? You want to grill me,"

"Incinerate," he hung up. I don't have a choice unless I want to bring Xanxus over to Japan, and Tsuna is better off not being on the same continent as Xanxus; Tsuna would mop the floor with Xanxus, but the only way to stop Xanxus is to kill him and as much as I don't like his attitude and manners, I do have a degree of affection for him somehow.

With a sigh of resignation, I dialed Take-Sushi's work phone, "Moshi, moshi, Take-Sushi how may we help you?"

"Tsuyoshi? This is Karen,"

"Ah, Karen, what's up?"

"I have to go Italy, and I won't be able to make any of my shifts,"

"Okay, how long you gonna be gone?" it's easy to see where Takeshi gets his laid back personality

"No idea. My brother's boss is really mad at me for some reason and if I don't go over to Italy, he'll come here and that would be really messy,"

"I don't really get it, but it's cool. I expect you to make up for it when you get back," he warned

"I will. I'll call you when I'm coming back,"

"Okay, see yeah".

I dialed Verde's number and left a message, "Verde, its Karen Squalo. I'm going to be in Italy for a little bit so I'll pick up my order. Ciao".

* * *

_**Is it just me or is this chapter just useless? any suggestions on how to fix are more than welcome! Note i'll also be editing previous chapters...again but i'm not restartign the story; too much work.**_


	18. Home

_**Home**_

Since arriving in Japan I haven't had a lot of time to think about my home country but now that things have slowed down and am on my way, I can't believe how homesick I'm feeling. The emotions are those ones that when you explain them it ruins the full passion. Italy is the place I've always gone back to after a mission, it's where I was born and where my brother lives. Unfortunately not all of the memories are pleasant ones. On the bright side of things, I get to see Superbi for the first time since the scramble for the Vongola Rings (I'm not counting the future because that's not my proper time and it's been changed by Yuni). I'm crossing my fingers in the hope our time spent together won't just be around Xanxus and the rest. It's not that I don't like them it's just they put a lot of strain on Superbi and me so that takes a lot of the fun out of things.

"Look at who it is," Levi's frown contrasted with the jovial voice, "the baby sister of the Shark that got eaten by a shark". Before Superbi could say a word, I already kicked Levi in the back of the knees and pinned him to the ground hog-tied style.

"That…is not a funny joke Leviathan. Say it one more time and you'll be six feet under," I meant it; Superbi almost getting eaten by a shark is not a joke I'll be tolerating anytime soon, "Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," Leviathan jumped back several paces the instant I wasn't sitting on him,

"Kare Bear!" Lussuria sang as he waltzed in, oblivious to the atmosphere,

"Quit calling me that!"

"Why is it so noisy out here?" Xanxus had his arms crossed his chest and scowling,

"Nothing!" "The usual" was the answers,

"Karen, do you mind explaining the resignation letter?" he dangled it in front of everyone,

"What's there to explain? A resignation letter should be self explanatory," I cocked my head slightly,

"Why in the fuckin' hell are you fuckin' resigning?" his voice was soft, yikes! I'm in trouble,

"I don't want to work full time anymore. I mean honestly, how many times a year do you get a mission that you honestly need me to go in and the information?"

Xanxus was silent. The average essential mission I went on was twice a year if I was lucky and by lucky I mean lucky for my money pocket. I only ever do A- and S-Rank mission levels.

"Point taken. Get the hell out!"

"Yes sir," I wasn't sticking around. I'm scared of Xanxus but I do have the primal desire to survive like any other human and I stuck around, Xanxus was going to kill me.

"Oh yeah and Xanxus?" I stuck my head back inside, prepared to bolt,

"WHAT!" Xanxus yelled, leaning forward as if to move to strangle me,

"A suggestion for my replacement is Fran,"

"He's irritating,"

"So he's a good replacement for me. Besides, he'll be a superb illusionist someday soon and part of being a secret agent is too be good at deception, so there you go."

"GET THE FUCKIN' HELL OUT!" I didn't stick around.

_Irritating little witch!_ Karen has always been able to rile me up, but this one time was too much. The look in her eyes, the implacable determination and power to go through with things….not even Squalo has seen that expression on her and he bloody raised her! Why, why did the bugger have to choose _now_ to jump ship when she's proven her worth? Why does she _now_ have to show how alike she and the Ninth and Sawada are! The idiotically pathetic trash!

"Boss?" Leviathan's voice was quickly cut off by the chucked wine glass; a low grunt and thud of glass hitting bushy hair sounded very satisfying. No doubt Karen would've enjoyed it. She and Leviathan got along about as well I do with everyone, and that is an accomplishment, especially for her because she's always the pain-in-the-ass charming diplomat.

"Xanxus?" Squalo was the only one in the room. He must've cleared everyone else out,

"Feel free to spend time with your sister," no point fighting them on it; they'll spend time together whether I permitted it or not. It's one thing to fight with just one of the Squalo Family but a completely different thing to have both of them going at you like there's no tomorrow.

"Thanks….that's not what I was going to say though,"

"What?" I growled,

"Why did you let her go without a fight?"

"You saw it; she would've gone through with it even if left the Vongola destroyed. She has the power to do it too" and that is a very scary thought because she has the will and power.

As per usual, the 'talk' with Xanxus was a contest of power and domination and as usual, he is king of the roost by giving in without struggling since he knows I'm just going to do my thing whether he likes it or not. He knows how to keep face and I've made sure he's practiced but not any more. I don't have to report to Xanxus, he went from second on my boss list to third; Tsuna is first (obviously), the Ninth is second (he was first until Tsuna came) and Xanxus is third. God would he be pissed if he knew what place he was in and who replaced him. With me he learned to tolerate second but he won't accept third no matter what. There is only one place he has first place on any of my lists, and that is the ferocious, lacking in mercy sense fighter who doesn't get mopped with. Sure he got mopped by Tsuna but not before Tsuna was beaten to a pulp. If Xanxus was ever slaughtered without his opponent getting a few memorable scars too….well that's just incomprehensible and my world view will be shattered. The Varia was violent but they were consistent in battle prowess and if any of them (except for Levi) were pummeled without getting their opponent then that means the end of the world….to me at any rate. I've known those guys since…well, forever I guess. Everyone, with the exception of Superbi, were like irritating brothers, Superbi is my beloved brother, father, role model and best friend; Lussuria, who was nicknamed Lucy by me when 'Lussuria' was a mouthful, was a wacky nanny and Levi can go to hell and I'll be happy to not have to put up with him but I'd eventually miss him so I'm just as pathetic as he is.

Now that I stop and think about it, I really am going to miss listening to the Varia's commanders ambush each other with surprise verbal and physical attacks and I'm already missing on participating. But at the same time, being around people my age (everyone but Chrome are older than me by a month or more) is a lot more enjoyable. They still bicker like crazy, Gokudera especially but there was the strong camaraderie and respect between all of them that was missing in Varia was I wanted to see and experience. Besides, Tsuna is as much of family as Superbi…literally. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact Superbi and me are related to Tsuna as cousins.

A strand of hair interrupted my thoughts as I tied my boots the same style as what the Varia wears in the future. Frankly I love this style of boot. Brushing the silver strand back, I glanced up at the mirror and almost had a heart attack. I looked identical to the future version of my brother! The only difference is my hair is still much shorter despite the couple of inches gained (it now reaches the bottom of my shoulder blades) and my bangs fall whichever direction worked for me.

"What's up with you?" Bel's unwelcome voice shi-shi'd in; "oh" came his answer when I looked at him "Are you and Squalo twins?"

"No. Last I checked he's eight years older than me," my emphatic tone told him bug off,

"Okay, bye!" he was gone, "You're really scary you know that?" his voice became very distant,

"Whatever," I muttered; it was the only thing that kept me alive in the underground along with my reputation.

"What's wrong?" Superbi's voice was soft,

"Uh, not to sure right now. Guess I'm just going to miss you guys,"

"Huh, well they're going to miss you even though they aren't going to admit it,"

"Yeah, admitting they're going to be miss a pain-in-the-ass girl is going to bust their male dignity"

"What about me?" Superbi feigned offense,

"You don't loose your dignity whatever happens. And you didn't say you were going to miss me," I smiled

Superbi was silent, "I am going to miss you, but I'm kind of use to it and besides, knowing the Ninth, you can come over here anytime" he shrugged,

"True," the Ninth took the opportunity to spoil me since Superbi didn't,

"Besides, it's gonna be my turn for vacation soon and guess where I'm going?"

"Really?" I jumped up and hugged him, forgetting about his sword attached hand. Long years of practice spared me from getting spitted.

Karen misses the sea. The way she's ripping up and down the beach, darting into the water and back out is always tells people how much she loves it. Karen's always been light on her feet and more graceful than almost anything but she seemed even more so. Her hair, which she had kept so meticulously short now swung around her head in graceful, clear arcs.

"You're going to miss this too," I sighed,

"Yeah. Italy's beaches are so different from Japan's," Karen smiled, but it was a sad smile with an undercurrent of joy. I know she's in love with Katana-brat and he with her, but how does a person tell his little sister she's in love when she doesn't realize it? In the future, I already dropped the bomb on Katana-brat but he doesn't seem to have done anything about it! For a brother in law, I prefer him over all the other trashy idiots that have tried to get Karen's attention. Thank god she has a short attention span for romance. Romantic comedy movies that are more romance than comedy have her gagging.

"How's the Katana brat doing?" oops, Karen doesn't like it when I use nicknames like that; usually I can curb it around her,

"_Takeshi_'s fine. He kept his promise on his temporary dedication to the sword," she grinned wickedly, leave it to her to find a way to get me back for insulting the katana brat.

"Voi," I growled,

"Baseball is to him what your sword is to you," she went on the diplomatic front. Karen is one hell of a diplomat. A combination of a pacific but bold personality and an unconscious charm could end wars, but I'm not willing to test that.

"Anything new?" I changed the subject; Karen looked up the sky with her hands on her hips, one of her many quirks,

"Takeshi is acting weird. Did you say something to him? I mean, the future you,"

"What do you mean by weird?" Yuni had payed a visit and informed me of what occurred in the future,

Karen shrugged, "Takeshi's always complimented me but the last time he said it, the same day I got the call from Xanxus, he said I was amazing and then he turned red and cleared out,"

"Agh!" (Anime drop and sweat bead) THERE SHOULD BE A LIMIT ON OBLIVIOUSNESS!

Superbi looked he got hit by one of Levi's parabolas and was freaking pissed about, "What did I say?" I stared at him like he grew a parabola

"You're so dense!" he was banging his head on a rock (figuratively speaking).

"Everyone's telling me that!" I threw my hands up in exasperation, "What am I missing?"

"You have to figure that one out on your own," he clearly wanted to tell me but had decided to let me find the answer on my own,

"You told Takeshi," I zeroed in on the fact whatever I was missing out on Takeshi knew,

"Yes but that was an accident. Spar?" he was not going to tell me whatever I tried. I said yes to the sparring and had fun.

After picking up my order from Verde and delivering it to the Varia, I returned home. I had the pleasure of watching Mammon freak out over the lack of money in his account but when he saw the box and rings I ordered for the Varia he partially cooled down; he was still furious with me even though I had repeatedly told him I accidentally found his codes. He did admit it was worth it though and that is good enough for me. I cleared out before the rest found out, but I did give Superbi's his first and in person, telling him that counted for a couple birthdays. My own purchase was a Sky ring. I didn't plan on a box, but I might someday down the road.

Superbi's figured out I have a sky flame, so guess what I'm getting for sweet sixteen?

"You're going to miss her," I smiled at Xanxus,

"Shut up," was the answer I got. Xanxus wasn't going to admit it but he did like the girl. Heck, everyone liked her with the exception of Belphegor and Leviathan. She's a real charmer. Karen's maturity level is equal to that of an ancient sage but she indulged in the occasional streak of childish behavior.

"It's going to be impossible to find her successor," Xanxus growled,

"Of course. You'll be looking for her,"

"WATCH IT old fart". I couldn't help but smile again. Karen's talent for peace-keeping had even gotten Xanxus to cool down. Despite being pacifically inclined, Karen still used some force when she or her brother, were insulted.

I wonder if she knows she's been nicknamed 'Jaguar' for her lack of fear, seeing patterns where there is chaos, and her untamed but controlled ferocity.

* * *

**Hi everyone. Is this fic going too long? **

**For the record, i don't know if Yuni talked to Squalo like she had the Ninth and Dino and whoever else but for the sake of the chapter and my fiction we'll say she did.**

**Reviews are desperately needed as I'm feeling very isolated.**


	19. Nuclear Shock

_**Nuclear Shock**_

I got back to Japan to find the Shimon family in residence and at my school. I have never heard of the Shimon Family but it as they have a school here in Japan that might explain it as I only about the Italian mafia. A day later, I find out the Ninth has come over to ask Tsuna about being boss.

"You wanted to see me, Ninth?" I blinked at Timoteo's casual, Hawaiian attire,

"Yes Karen. I would've talked to you in Italy but you were busy", He smiled. No one would guess Timoteo was the Ninth Boss of the Vongola mafia family.

"Sit down," he gestured towards the couches on either side of a coffee table, "What do you think Tsunayoshi-kun's decision will be about becoming Decimo?" he asked after we were seated

I shrugged, "Tsuna will probably say no. Tsuna and the gang don't belong in the mafia world." It's a dog eat dog world and everyone, with the exception of Hibari and Mukuro, are softer than cooked marshmallows,

"You don't belong there either. I wonder how you would've turned out if your parents were still alive. So how can I tell you this?"

I didn't say anything; he would say it once he got it straight in his head and he gave some food for thought

"How much do you love the Vongola?" he finally said,

"Um, well, it isn't the _organization_ I love, it's more of the_ people_ in it…a couple of them at any rate," I shrugged at the Ninth's chuckle. It was no big secret how well I got along with the members of the Varia, especially Levi and Xanxus (with Xanxus I'm regarded as a celebrity for being so 'strong' to be able to stand up and tell him 'screw it').

"That sounds just like a woman I've heard of,"

"Huh?"

"The beginning of the Vongola was much different from current times. The Vongola was created as a way of protecting loved ones. In Primo's time, there were eight Guardians, the Sky, Rain, Mist, Sun, Cloud, Storm, Thunder and the Misty Rain Guardian."

"Misty Rain Guardian?" I knew nothing about this and it's disturbing for me to be lacking any kind of information.

"The Misty Rain Guardian is essentially the hidden right hand," the Ninth smiled, "as beneficial as she is, the qualifications are pretty much a once every ten or so generation chance of finding just a potential candidate. The Misty Rain Guardian is not part of the Tri-Ni-Sette,"

Now I'm floored. "How does this fit with me?" the Ninth didn't hand out information like this unless there was a purpose for it and the inkling of the idea was just starting to form and the previous experience I had with the Katherine in the future was starting to resurface

"It 'fits' you because you have the qualifications and the right ancestry", the Ninth continued, "The Mist Rain Guardian is elusive like the Mist but calming like the Rain. I suppose, you could say she's a ninja and a diplomat," uh oh, sounds like me. "The ancestry part goes back to Primo's time, where you are the descendent of Katherine de Madrigal, the First and so far, only Misty Rain Guardian. Katherine was also Primo's wife"

"You're fucking kidding!" no way in heaven, earth or hell could I be a candidate for the Vongola boss.

_Holy shit. I've had opportunity after opportunity to take control of the Vongola and I never knew it! _Mukuro was as floored as I was. More accurately, I think someone just started Nuclear World War One in my head. This information is wreaking havoc!

"I'm not kidding Karen." The Ninth was miffed at my language selection "Don't worry, you're not a candidate for Decimo but Undicesimo, Eleventh" someone must've dropped enough nukes to incinerate Jupiter. Doesn't matter if it's Eleventh or Hundredth, I DO NOT want to be a Vongola Boss. Dealing with the Xanxus without that added invective was hard enough "And you and Tsunayoshi-kun are cousins,"

"…are we talking second, third?" Thank whatever deity there is I'm not engaged to Tsuna but….AAAAHHHH! Mukuro had two kilometer long walls of adamant protecting him from my overly tumultuous mind,

The Ninth chuckled, "No".

"How does that work?"

"Iemitsu's elder sister married your father, after he got over Squalo's mother's death. Unfortunately for you, both of them died in a car accident. Really an accident this time, not assassination in disguise,"

"….WHAT?" all I can think is _what the fuck?_ but I don't say it out loud this time

_Real nice language use. I think you've used 'fuck' more in the last few minutes than you have since coming to Japan,_ Mukuro's comment went unheeded. How many more am I going to get hit over the head with nukes?

"Here's a picture," the Ninth handed me three and a half inch by six inches picture. Apparently this isn't the end of nuclear bombardment because I'm a twin to my brother and by extension, dad. Mom has a balance of Japanese and Sicilian features and as far as I can see, I have no physical similarities to her. I'm half Italian and half Japanese in genetics though….I'm going into information and emotional overload mode.

As if he read my mind, the Ninth broke in, "What you lack in physical resemblance to Masako is more than made up for your resemblance to her in your personality. Though you are different behavior wise,"

"Does that mean all the attention you gave me was because we're related?"

"No but it is a factor," he admitted, "Karen, I believe you fill the requirements of the Misty Rain Guardian: the elusive, calming support of the Family," the Ninth's language turned formal as he revealed an indigo and cerulean blue splattered box. Nestled in dark navy blue satin fabric was a ring identical to the other Vongola Rings. "It's changed," the Ninth blinked,

"Of course it would've," my calm was finally reasserted after the shock of my life, "Primo undid the seal," I'm flying on autopilot now.

"The flame border was never there," the Ninth shook his head. The ring had the same general shape as the other Guardian rings but an orange, flamed styled border bled into a blue that was identical to the color of Rain flames and the blue turned to indigo, the color of Mist flames. At the center of the peculiar gem was a rain drop surrounded by the typical mist pattern. "This is yours, Second Misty Rain Guardian".

Lightly, silently, I skipped down the steps, waving at the Ninth who I knew was watching from the window. Turning my back, I just struck off in a completely random direction that did not take me back to the Ninth. Rather than think about the new addition to my life, I turned my thoughts to the issues I'm having with Shimon. It's not that they're being mean or rude to anyone it's just I'm getting a bad vibe from them; some more than others.


	20. Suspicious

_**Suspicious **_

"_Hey, Karen?" Takeshi's voice was distant, and almost childlike,_

"_What?" I glanced at him,_

"_The mafia…it's…not just a game is it?"_

Crap,_ I shook my head, "No. No one could really find a way to actually show it to you the way things just fly over your head and you go with the flow," I reached up and messed his hair, making it spikier, "the Vongola was supposed to be different. In the second generation things went down the toilet."_ and that is not too far off the bull's eye.

*Sigh* some things were harder to talk about than others, and that was actually one of the easier things to talk about. Now that I stop and think about, Takeshi has been acting a little weird since we came home, or more accurately since our training with the future version of my brother. I remember Superbi saying to Takeshi "my sister may know more about psychology than any other psychologist but she doesn't know squat about her own feelings" or something along those lines. Since then Takeshi has been acting awkwardly and shy. "Maybe I should call Superbi and try again,"

"Excuse me?" the voice with its barely perceptible hostility that was at boiling point, I spun around,

"Suzuki Adelheid," I tried to relax my muscles but failed. There was something about her that set me completely on edge. Her eyes were hard, wary but her face was impassive. She was more tightly coiled than any thread I know of.

"Karen. What were you talking about?"

"Just thinking of calling my brother. It's been awhile since I last talked to him," I replied coolly with the tone of 'I'm not doing anything, back off, and none of your business'.

"I see," her voice could've chilled the Sahara Desert, "Is there a particular reason you are here?"

"No," I said slowly,

"You might want to clear out. I heard there are some ruffians here,"

I just raised an eyebrow,

"Never mind, you're Varia"

"Former," I answered shortly,

"Hm," she walked away. _There should be a law against wearing stockings with short skirts,_ I grumbled to myself. No wonder some guys were going nutty, but her attitude was enough to cool almost anyone, but what was up with that? Saying ruffians were about in this area and suggesting I clear out. Is she hiding something?

_What was that?_

_Took you long enough Mukuro. It's been too silent in here,_ and freakishly enough it was without him chattering at me,_ So what's up?_

I caught some irritation and face: Julie Katou. _What the friggin' hell?_

_He is,_ Mukuro was so steamy he wasn't even bothering with concealing it and I was steaming furious as well. If that bastard pulled one thing with Chrome, Enma will have to find a new guardian. Mukuro will have fun with the mental torture while I implement some of the Varia's favorite techniques for physical torture.

_Unfortunately, we can't move unless he pulls something, so let's save for when he does his thing._ Wouldn't matter if this guy was Tsuna himself, stalking Chrome is a no-no. Stalking was warning beam with anyone anyways. _Any intel on the Shimon?_

_Even if I did have some, I wouldn't tell._

_Liar, liar pants on fire_, I chanted. By now I know when Mukuro pulls his word games so I shrugged, _you'll tip your hand then when it's the right time_

_If ever._

_No, you will. You want and need to protect Chrome, and to protect her you have to protect the rest of us,_

…_I know… _was Mukuro's curt reply.I am not on Mukuro's 'Liked People' list today.

"Ah Karen-chan, how are you?" Nana Sawada chimed when I stepped into the Sawada residence,

"Hi," do I have to call her Aunt Nana now? Man, this is wacked up because I have family that Superbi doesn't have. Ah geeze!

"Your room's ready,"

"Ah, oh thanks," I've finally moved in with Tsuna. It's legitimate because we're cousins but no one but me and the Ninth know that. I'm used to sharing almost everything with Superbi; I've always known Superbi and I were half siblings but I was never told who my mother was and I didn't have the opportunity or inclination to find out.

Currently I'm bunking with Bianchi. So long as she doesn't try to give me Poison Cooking we'll get along fine. We already do since I spent a lot of time with Kyoko and Haru in the kitchen during our tenure in the future. I've never cared for some of the big, fluffy feather beds some people favor but I love

I know this shouldn't be a hard concept to wrap my mind around, but being the one and only candidate for the Eleventh Vongola is more than a little weird. Being a Guardian is weird as well but a lot easier to deal with, I thought to myself as I twisted the ring around my finger. I don't want to be a boss or guardian; it feels imprisoning. But I don't think I will be Vongola Undicesimo because Tsuna is _not_ going to become Vongola Decimo and so I'll be staying in Japan. If I return to Italy, I'll never see the group again but if I stay here, the Ninth has promised me that Superbi and I can still visit. Besides, where Superbi vacations is his own decision. Take that Xanxus!


	21. Share

**Probably should've waited before posting this but i just couldn't wait and if u read u'll see why.**_**

* * *

**_

_**Sharing**_

Another day and still no one pops up for a fight. Things are as peaceful as they get when you got the strongest mafia family getting ready for the succession of yet another generation. Aside from the one assassination attempt everything's actually too quiet but nothing I can do about that.

"Hey Karen what's up?" Takeshi tried to surprise me. We had made a bet that if he can sneak up on me and give attack, than I would do all his shifts at Take-sushi for a month and do whatever he tells me to do for an hour after the heart attack. I wonder what brought it on though, it was just one those things that happened.

"Nothing really. That's what's bugging me," I felt my face go down in a frown,

"Really?"

"Yeah. Usually this is the golden opportunity for rival Families to end the Vongola but they're being too quiet. I wonder…" my thoughts branched out to a worst scenario possible: a powerful rival family had allied with all the other rivals and were waiting for one of the families to make a move.

"You know, you need to stop doing that," Takeshi frowned slightly,

"What?" I hesitated, unsure with the expression on his face

"You keep wrapping into yourself. You don't tell anyone everything. I know part of it is because it's somebody else's stuff but you don't share your own information."

I didn't say anything. This was out of the blue and it was frustrating. "Like what? I don't know squat about being a friend considering I've never made any,"

"Why not?" Takeshi clearly didn't believe I couldn't make friends,

"I don't relate to people! Most of the Italian boys I meet are old school and the girls are ditzy, shallow sluts. It's almost the same on every freakin' continent!" I threw up my hands, "So of course I don't know what it means to be a friend or to have one. Besides no one likes having kid who scores better than them on tests because of photographic memory. I never have to study and I get a perfect score while other kids are studying like their life depends on it and only get eight out of ten". The swish of the grass caused by a breeze was the only sound in the baseball field. Good thing for me there was no one in hearing distance. "Part of it's my fault", I turned around, "I choose to join the Varia and in there, you either grow up or die". Can't believe I'm actually saying all this but it's a relief to not have it all on me. "Superbi knows all of this, Takeshi. Even if I don't tell him he always figures it out".

"That's impressive," Takeshi commented, "I wonder if I'll ever be able to do that"

"Huh?" I heard him I just don't think I heard right,

"Nothing. Just…well, wish I knew you like Squalo does,"

"You'll never know me like he does," I shook my head,

"Why not?" I saw a flicker of panic in Takeshi's eyes as his body tensed,

"You are you, Superbi is Superbi. Superbi is the one who raised me. You're my best friend," I pointed out,

"Oh…right," he grinned, visibly relaxing. Why on earth did he tense up like that?

_Dense, dense, dense, _Mukuro started chanting,

_Look at whose taking_

"Hey Karen?" Takeshi waved a hand in front of face,

"Yeah?" I jolted,

"Did I win the bet?" he grinned,

"Dunno. Mukuro was distracting me," I shrugged, "So yeah. I guess you did," I smiled, wow he actually did it with Mukuro's help.

"Sweet. Then you got to answer all my questions for the next hour,"

"You're just drilling me?" I asked as I set the timer on my watch,

"Hey I'm asking the Q." he grinned.

"Start shootin' you're times tickin'" I placed my hands on my hips, wondering where the heck this going to go,

"Why did you join the Varia?" oh shit. This is going to be one of those. He was serious too.

"….I…um," I scrambled to get things straight, "It was just after Superbi came home from his journey. The one where he was 'absorbing' sword styles", I put finger quotations in the air for absorbing, "well, um. I was racing home to be the first one to see him," I couldn't help but smile at how enthusiastic I had been, "ugh. Well, when I got there, someone tried to knock him off because he had hurt their friend. I hadn't realized how dangerous our world was until then. I decided that I would do my best to keep him alive. He didn't want me in but once I promised him that he wouldn't regret it he allowed me and taught everything I needed to survive," I shrugged.

"Wow" was all Takeshi said.

"Mind if I get two questions in quick?" I glanced at Takeshi, who was lying in the grass beside me,

"Nope" he was still staring at the sky,

"Of all the things to get me to do for the bet, why did you choose this?"

"Guess I want to learn more about it you and this seemed like the best option?" he suggested, gesturing widely,

"Okay. You got half an hour to go," I glanced at my watch,

"What about the second question?"

"I already asked," I grinned, "you got twenty-nine minutes to go"

"Okay, umm, have you ever felt really stressed? Like you're going to coo-koo?" he twirled his fingers in the universal gesture of screws loose.

"Kind of feeling it right now," I admitted,

"Why?"

"Things haven't really slowed down a lot since the Varia came to town and I haven't really had time to unwind, like go through the routines of life for a couple days. Right after the Varia we were chucked into the future where we almost got our asses kicked and then we're back here with the inheritance ceremony coming up. I've also taken a couple nukes to the head,"

"You don't need to explain the scramble and future. I know you were all freaked because you were worried about Squalo," he grimaced slightly. Yeah, almost having your brother consumed by a shark and then having him loose his sword arm to a magma wacko definitely freaked me out. "But what are the 'nukes'?," he put air quotations around 'nukes'.

"Well, turns out I'm a Misty Rain Guardian," I handed him my ring, "and apparently, Tsuna is my cousin,"

"Whoa, back up!" Takeshi's body language indicated he felt the nuclear bomb as well,

"The Misty Rain Guardian is pretty much a ninja and diplomat, she has the qualities of Rain and Mist. Her duty is to support the entire family, whether it's obtaining information or filling positions or whatever".

"Cool! But why is there orange on the ring if you're mist and rain?"

I shrugged, "Dunno. I think it represents the positions I can fill, like Rain Guardian, Mist Guardian and….Boss".

"Okay, are you and Tsuna cousins, three times removed or something?" he sounded exactly like me when the Ninth dropped that bomb,

"My mom was Tsuna's dad's sister," I said slowly to make sure I didn't mess up,

"Holy Shit. Have you told Tsuna?" he cocked his head,

"NO! I don't want it public. I mean, well, it's hard to explain. I….ugh!"

"Is Squalo Tsuna's cousin as well?" his brow furrowed slightly,

"Nope. Just me. Our dad remarried after Superbi's mom died,"

"Oh,"

"Yeah that's how it goes," I shook my head again,

"Well, I guess I think I get how you feel. You're use to thinking of Squalo as you're only family and you're worried that Squalo will get replaced". Now that's what I call hitting the head of the nail."Don't worry. I won't tell anyone," he grinned, holding up his pinky finger. I looked down and hesitantly offered my own pinky, which he just grasped and shook.

"I feel like a little kid," for some reason I felt my eyes water and they have never, ever, EVER done that,

"What did I say?" Takeshi yelped. Before I could say 'nothing' Takeshi just suddenly hugged me. "Everything's gonna be fine," he whispered. I meant to just hug him back slightly, but I found myself clinging to him with my face buried in his chest. I guess I am physically identical to the average teen girl.

Two hours later, Tsuyoshi was aware of Takeshi's and mine bet. He just shook his head, "Should've come up with something better than that," he muttered. "Did you guys have fun?" he inquired, grinning,

"Yeah, the _baseball _game was fun" I answered as Takeshi missed the insinuation in his father's smile. Why do I get the feeling he knew Takeshi and I hugged earlier? Honestly people, there was nothing romantic about it!

Even though I took Takeshi's shifts he still helped out, mainly cleaning rice and soy drenched dishes. I'm not minding the extra shift; in fact I love it. All the stress from the term in the future is starting to catch up and it doesn't help either I'm still reeling from the nuclear bombs (one and only candidate for Undicesimo Vongola and Tsuna's biological cousin) are not helping me. Another thing that puzzled me was the attack on the Giegue Family. I don't know the location but the attack had to have been in a remote place otherwise someone would've noticed the battle. The other thing bothering me is that's the same day I ran into Adelheid by the demolition site. Had she known what happened? If she had, why didn't she tell anyone? Or did she tell someone, just not the Vongola? My thoughts started running from point one to point two and back to point one.

"What are you thinking?" Takeshi asked when I handed him some more plates,

"Eh? Sorry, I'm…"

"Distracted. You're all woo-woo, right?"

I couldn't help but laugh at that, the way he uses sounds and gestures in his speech, "You know me pretty well,"

"So what's up?" he turned serious,

"Just tired," I sighed, "Emotionally I mean. There's…been a lot of things going on,"

"Like Tsuna becoming a boss tomorrow?" he grinned, "do you want to come with me to the school? Kaoru and I are practicing for the upcoming game, so if you want to burn some steam…"

"No thanks. I got get to home after work to help Nana with making supper. Good thing she cooks a lot of food. She needs to feed an army," I grinned,

"Okay. Have fun, I gotta roll now,"

"Okay, see yeah tomorrow".


	22. Karen's Third Song: Survive

_**Survive**_

I want to survive,  
I will survive,  
So I can tell you I love you,  
So I can show you my true feelings.

Beneath the veiled sky,  
The gentle caress of rain soaks through  
To the heart I kept so secret.  
How did you,  
The gentle rain  
Break through the mist of deception?

For you,  
I will protect what you hold dear,  
For I hold it dear too,  
Truly I do.

I want to survive,  
I will survive,  
So I can tell you I love you,  
So I can show you my true feelings.

I always loved the rain  
But I now I can't live without it,  
Without your gentle, comforting touch.

I trust you,  
I love you,  
What I share with you,  
You share with me,  
What more can I ask?  
I don't want to see the stars.

I want to survive,  
I will survive,  
So I can tell you I love you,  
So I can show you my true feelings.

Elusive has always been essential  
To protect myself,  
But now I don't want to conceal  
What lies in my heart.

Do you trust me too?  
Do you love me too?  
What you share with me,  
I share with you  
Is there more you can ask?  
Do you want to see the stars?

I want to survive,  
I will survive,  
So I can tell you I love you,  
So I can show you my true feelings.

What did you do to wash away the mist?  
How did your gentle rain come through?

Sharing our hearts  
We beat against time  
Together we celebrate our survival.

I want to survive,  
I will survive,  
So I can tell you I love you,  
So I can show you my true feelings.

I want to survive with you,  
I hope you want to survive too;  
What is mine is yours,  
What is yours is yours to give,  
I hope we live long,  
To share our true thoughts and feelings.

You are a gentle rain that cleanses,  
I am the elusive mist concealing the truth beneath a shower of rain,  
In the harmonious sky.

I want to survive,  
I will survive,  
So I can tell you I love you,  
So I can show you my true feelings.

_Survive,_ Karen's 3rd song


	23. Terror

_**Terror**_

Slipping along in the shadows of Namimori, I suppress a chuckle at what Hibari would do if he knew I was using him for training in ninjutsu. The guy is so perceptive it takes all a ninja has to avoid getting caught and bulldozed. My thoughts turned from Hibari to Takeshi. Earlier he had said he was with Kaoru training for the upcoming game.

OH MY GOD! Murder intent seared through the night, blinding me. It wasn't until I almost blacked out that I realized I wasn't breathing. Something told me by the next day I might be wishing I blacked out and fell onto a sword. Struggling to suppress my panic, I tried to focus on the feeling of water but I had to light up my Misty Rain ring with a Rain flame, and lightly doused myself with it; the lingering heat was barely perceptible as a high temperature tingle rapidly retreated. A streak of light shot through the night as a tall silhouette slipped from light to night before I could see their features clearly, and it was their features I needed, dammit! Anyone can fit a silhouette with proper padding and hair style. The clear, city tainted night air carried a strange scent. Due to being human I can't tell precisely what the scent was from smell alone, but from the damp, disturbingly warm, sharp feel I caught in the bridge of my nose told me it was liquid, and warm which means it belongs to a body. Staying wary of potential attack, I stepped into the light of the open locker room.

"Karen what's wrong?" Ryohei's voice changed as he beheld the scene that, even without photographic memory, would remain torched into my memory. I didn't realize I had screamed. All over the back of the lockers was my least favorite color in the world: freshly spilled blood and right in the middle of it was Takeshi, the source of it all. The bright warmth that marked the Sun flames brought me out of the locked hole I had started receding into_. "Locked in a deep, black night…. frozen sleep/ Under a cold clear winter sky… I'm lost in this frozen sleep"_ my song, _Hear Me,_ pulsed except if Takeshi was gone, there'd be nothing to wake me up and I'd be lost till the day I died. The thought of loosing Takeshi spurred me to action, grabbing my cell.

'It isn't until you lose something that you ever realize how precious it is' a cliché that honestly is annoying but it's true, except in my case it's 'almost lose'. Ever since I came to Japan, Takeshi has always been the one that held my attention. Despite how cold I was the first day, he still smiled and said 'welcome'. He helped me get a job at his dad's sushi store. It wasn't until then I realized what I lost when my parents were killed when I was no more than a month old, what Superbi feels whenever he thinks about our parents. Tsuyoshi treated me like I was his daughter even though he could tell I was a fellow swordsman (woman). As friendship bloomed, I realized how different Takeshi was from me: he lived an average, secure, light filled life while mine has been anything but normal and secure where light was nothing more than the moon and stars. At the same time though, we had an unfailing dedication to our loved ones. No matter what, Takeshi was always smiling, laughing, calm, oblivious but kind and considerate. He contrasted with the life I lead, showed me different things and he balanced it out.

After getting Takeshi to the hospital I felt myself start to pretend I was calm but really I was anything but calm. I know Takeshi is going to live, but the question is will he be able to play baseball again? Baseball is his life and if he can't continue to play, well….it'll be heartbreaking. If he can't play baseball, I strongly suspect he won't be able to use a sword and as such won't be able to defend or help his friends in battle and friends mean more to Takeshi than anything possibly could. If he couldn't help his friends, he'd be soul broken and that would destroy him beyond being an empty shell. Sparring and baseball are our favorite activities to do together. God help the attacker if Takeshi can't play baseball anymore (personally, I hope God deserts the attacker).

I let out a sigh, sitting at home after the meeting with the Ninth. Tsuna has decided to accept the Inheritance _only_ to flush out the one that attacked Takeshi. The brilliant idea of using Chrome's illusions to create a false Takeshi is brilliant, especially since the one who attacked Takeshi won't expect Takeshi to be up and running like nothing happened. If it the plan works out, it'll throw them off their game. Absently I brushed Kaida, my mist/rain flame hybrid jaguar box weapon. Even though she doesn't need to be brushed, I still do it as it's soothing for her and me. Kaida bumped her head against my hand begging for a scratch that I located behind her ear. The flames she released was a gorgeous blend of blue and indigo where the colors meshed but dart out as individual flames that were accented by a dark gray, almost black pelt with black splashes in the jaguar's signature spot pattern. Kaida is a fierce, unrelenting, wild but controlled fighter which everyone says reflects me but off the battlefield, she enjoys napping in the sun at noon and doing her own thing, which is another similarity. My other box weapons, Mire, a Mist Kingfisher is just a typical bird who goes wherever she wishes and a Squalo Piccolo Pioggia (Little Rain Shark) I never let out as he is even more bloodthirsty than any shark out there and is nearly impossible to control without Kaida or Mire.

Trying to sleep, even with Kaida lending me Rain flames was getting farther and farther away. My thoughts kept going to Takeshi and what everyone is saying. Mukuro and Superbi have the same opinion of me being incredibly dense, and all of it occurs whenever I think or talk about Takeshi acting weird.

Ugh. Listening to Karen go around in circles like she is now has to be one of the most irritating things in all the realms!

_Oh for Christ's sake! Honestly! You have to be one of the densest people I will ever meet!_ I finally snapped, _Yamamoto Takeshi is _in love with you_!_

_Eh?_ I could have taken a bat to her head and she wouldn't appear half as stunned as she is now,

_And you love him back!_ I added.

_About time she got it_, I commented to Nagi, who was listening as well,

_It's kind of cute,_ Nagi commented. Yes it was but I wasn't feelings especially overjoyed. God I hope I'm not crushing on her.

_You're just like a big brother,_ Nagi smiled. That rang more true than being in love with Karen; she was a little too feisty for my liking but I know I can trust her. Before Karen registered my comments, I got out and built up defenses even she had a hard time breaking through. If she can't break through in an hour than she usually quits and beats up something else, preferably Leviathan but he, unfortunately, isn't always available.

What is there for Takeshi to like about me? Sure I enjoy baseball but I don't have his passion for it. Why on earth would he pick me? Despite all the questions swirling around, I couldn't help but feel…delighted, ecstatic and these feelings weren't helping my confusion level.

I am in…love. That's almost too much for me to wrap my head around; I've never noticed the opposite gender in that way. I've always noticed when a guy was attractive, like Dino, but beyond that I didn't care. However, things made a lot more sense, like the bursts of awkwardness and….the…uh, _intimacy_. My thoughts turned to two days ago, during Takeshi's and my break between shifts: Takeshi and I were talking about our parents.

"_Hey Takeshi?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Um, why don't you ever talk about your mom? Did she and your dad get into a fight or something?"_

_Takeshi, who had been lying on his back with his legs dangling over the edge of the wraparound porch that enshrouded the inner garden, pulled himself up, "She died in a car accident,"_

"_Oh,"_

"_Why're you smiling?" Takeshi looked at me apprehensively,_

"_It's just that, that's the same way my parents died. I was only three weeks old, Superbi was eight," I smiled sadly, "doesn't really…affect me. I mean, Superbi is…was the one who raised me. He's the one that was always there. I'm pretty sure he's done more for me than any father would ever do for the child of his second marriage,"_

"_Wow. That sounds…kind of like Gokudera's family."_

_I chuckled, "Not quite. My…father didn't have an affair. Superbi's mom was killed in a shoot out between an ally of the Vongola and one of the rival families. It was five years later that he finally moved on,"_

_"Sounds like you know a lot for just being three weeks old,"_

_"This is all Superbi told me. I once asked him what it was like having parents and he said it was indescribable. Seeing you with your dad explains why that bond can't be explained. It also tells me, what I….must've, _am _missing out on". Both of us were silent after that._

"_Wait here a sec," Takeshi suddenly jumped up and was gone before I could say 'what the heck?' Whatever it was he was doing it sure was taking awhile. But it was fine. The day was beautiful and the sunshine warm. I never realized how much sunlight I missed out on while working with the Varia. Cheep, tweet blended into a cacophonic symphony. Takeshi's socked feet couldn't be heard but they could be felt through the wood. _

"_Here" he handed me a small object wrapped carefully in cloth, "consider it a late and early birthday present",_

"_Okay," I unwrapped the little object, "oh," I was stunned. Nestled in the soft white fabric was a half moon shaped boxwood comb decorated with dark, yellow green bamboo leaves and white bamboo blossoms. _

"_That belonged to my mom. Since I don't have any sisters and dad hasn't remarried, you can use it. And keep it," he added, "as a souvenir of Japan,"_

"_Uh Takeshi" this felt so weird and creepily intimate, "I'm staying in Japan. No way in heaven or hell can Xanxus move me," I kept my eyes on the comb._

"_Sweet. Uh, Karen?" I finally looked up and almost backpedaled; Takeshi was blushing, "um, well I…." before he could he finish his sentence Tsuyoshi came in,_

"_Hey kids, time…never mind," he realized he was interrupting,_

"_Little late for that Dad," Takeshi stood up, "C'mon like he was going to say: time to get back to work,"_

"_Okay," what the heck was that about?_

Before I finally fell asleep at five in the morning, I set my alarm to wake me up at six' thirty. I've functioned on less sleep before but an hour and a half was not going to keep me going. I'm going to have to talk to Ryohei to see if I could get energized by his Sun flames.

I was up before anyone else in the Sawada household, so I left a note saying I was visiting Takeshi at the hospital and that I was going to visit with my 'grandfather'. I gulped down a bowl of porridge with lots of syrup and grabbed an energy bar that I ate on my way to the hospital. I was just wearing a pair of gray sweats and white t-shirt. The Ninth had my suit for the Ceremony. My first out of three stops for the day was the hospital where I found Tsuyoshi dozing outside Takeshi's room. He jumped even though my footsteps made no sound, "Oh, Karen. Just you,"

"Have you been here all night?" I wasn't surprised,

"Huh? Oh yeah," he rubbed his eyes, "how did this happen?" he knew I had the answer,

"Well, uh, um…that is what Takeshi was planning to tell you, so I'll let him when he wakes up",

"You know?"

"It's Takeshi's story not mine," I held up my hands

"Argh! Sorry, I know you want to visit him…."

"It's cool. I'd be going nuts if someone knew something I didn't and wouldn't tell me," I sympathized,

"Doc says no more than five minutes visiting. Says it's no point talking to him,"

"God, fucking dammit!" I muttered, "What do they know?" I raised my voice. Slipping into the room, I felt crippled. Hesitantly, I touched Takeshi's hand and the fingers twitched.

"Don't worry bout a thing," I whispered, "we'll find the one who did this and make sure they face up to it. Don't take too long waking up and getting better. I…I…I". Crap I can't even say it! Might as well save it until he wakes up anyways. God I feel like an idiot and Tsuyoshi's knowing smile just irritated me further,

"About time," he waved. It was so hard to resist spinning around and giving Tsuyoshi an earful.

That girl is something else. It's impossible to not forget the first I met Karen: _I almost had a heart attack when I sensed her because she has the aura of an experienced fighter; one who has been in life and death situations but never killed anyone yet. My head snapped up to find a silver haired young girl hiding behind Takeshi, "Karen?" Takeshi's expression was startled,_

"_Your father's scary," a soft, but strong voice answered,_

"_Okay," Takeshi drew out the 'O'._

"_One of your friends Takeshi?" I quickly plastered a smile on my face,_

"_She's a classmate and teammate,"_

"_Teammate?" I asked,_

"_We both play baseball," the girl named Karen had stepped out from behind Takeshi. She was tall for her age, assuming she's fourteen, had short, spiky silver hair and if it wasn't for the subtle hint of curves in her clothing and voice I would have mistook her for a boy._

"_Ah," I said,_

"_Hey dad? Mind if Karen works here?"_

"_Maybe, does she have a resume?"_

"_She's a transfer student from Italy," Takeshi grinned,_

"_Oh! Well then, when can you start?" being a transfer student meant she was responsible, behaved properly and had a genuine curiosity for the world around her. Just the kind of person I like to have working here but I also wanted to keep an eye on her, "I would still like a resume though," I added chuckling._

I shake my head. That worry had been a useless drag around. Once she got over her shyness, Karen was the first one to beat Takeshi to a joke. She was undeniably trustworthy and she and Takeshi got along like a baseball and a bat. Similarities and differences were beautifully and harmoniously balanced. She was dense in areas Takeshi wasn't and vice versa. They were both dense in one area though. To top it off, they were never seen apart. I honestly think Takeshi has found a really good friend and maybe, just maybe, his future wife. Karen isn't as passionate about baseball as Takeshi is, but she enjoys the sport and encourages him. There is also culture and language barriers but the two of them have been working at it so that those particular barriers are down and out but the third and most likely, most difficult barrier is lifestyle. Karen hasn't said a word to me about her family, other than her older brother is a swordsman and has taught her self defense since she was five, along with both her parent dead for a reason she hasn't disclosed but I'm guessing her life is almost polar opposite to Takeshi's.

Karen has her own flaws, like the tendency to manipulate but she manages to stop herself from getting to far into it. Thankfully, Takeshi knows her well enough to know when she's doing it and tells her. I wonder where she learned psychology. She can also be quite intense when agitated. Finally, she seems to always close up on herself but lately, that wall seems to have decomposed. Though I haven't seen any indication of hostility, it's obvious she can be very dangerous if pushed and I don't want to be the one fighting against her. But for all the flaws she's an amazing young woman. Being courteous seems to be second nature to her along with her tendency to be a diplomat.

She said I was scary, I mused. She must have sensed my aura the same way I sensed hers. She's incredibly perceptive or intuitive or both. At any rate, I like her but I do not like the secret she's keeping.


	24. Inheritance Gone Bad

_**Inheritance Gone Bad**_

_God dammit! Will someone just show up?_ I growled mentally, not wanting or expecting Mukuro to respond. Thank God he didn't otherwise Chrome will be lacking a beloved friend. If something doesn't happen soon, I'm going to snap and it won't be pretty,

_Karen, chill!_ Mukuro growled before retreating and building up mental defenses before I could retaliate. Unfortunately, the only way I could chill would be if I pummeled something right down to its atoms and that won't look good in the middle of the Inheritance Ceremony even if it is Levi I'm breaking but working on the wall Mukuro brought up was real tempting.

I couldn't see Tsuna's or the other's faces but I knew they were glancing all over the place praying the person who attacked Takeshi would reveal himself or herself. I know because I was doing it. Jitters started and I allowed them to allow me to fidget until Superbi put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him; the question of where was Takeshi glimmered unanswered. He, Dino and more than likely everyone in the Varia, saw through Chrome's illusion.

"_How is it doctor?" Tsuna was dreading the worst,_

"_We managed to save his life, but today and the next day will be critical. There is a very good chance he won't ever again walk" had been the doctor's experienced sad answer._ I clenched my fist. If Takeshi didn't recover, someone was going to have Jaguar-Shark hybrid after their life if their reason for attacking him wasn't sound, but even if it was self defense against Takeshi (which would happen when Xanxus decides he loves Tsuna) I think I would still try to kill them.

A shrill, ear shredding sound ripped through the hall. Everyone in the vicinity had their hands clasped to their ears in a vain attempt to protect them. I've found covering your ears doesn't do anything to keep sound out of them but this still freaking hurt! My ears are going to ring for a week after this! Explosions of smoke clogged the senses of sight and hearing but not the sixth. Within the confusion of the smoke, someone got inside the Difesa A Circolo and injured the Ninth in a vain attempt to get the Sin. _Diletto was very similar to the English word, delete. Could it mean more than 'sin'? Could it mean 'delete' as well? Or am I over thinking this?_ I wondered in the back of mind, fighting down the fight or flight urges. The smoke finally cleared to reveal the Ninth injured and the Sin destroyed. The Ninth had replaced the original Sin with a faux. I could almost smack him, saying the real Sin was in a vault with the seven flames forming a shield! And saying where it is to boot! Like he implied with the order to close the exits, the culprit will be in the same goddamn room as us! Just as I opened my mouth to rebuke him,

"Ninth!" Ganauche Third yelled. What do you know, not long after he gave that particular information the vault was broken into and the Sin was stolen by the Shimon Family. Looks like I wasn't off the mark.

It took everything I had to not pounce on Kaoru. It was obvious he liked Takeshi and that he appreciated Takeshi's help! Fucking Son of a fucking bitch…wait that doesn't even cover and it applies to the entire Shimon Famiglia. It was hard to listen to them, not just because of screaming rage, but I couldn't believe. Sure the Vongola doesn't have the greatest history but the First Generation was allegedly the golden era. The meeting with Primo was brief but enough for me and Tsuna to believe that Primo would never do that….willingly. The fact that the Shimon family had been obliterated fitted with what little information I had but this is just their side and the Vongola's side of the story has vanished so what the heck are we supposed to do? When Enma asked Tsuna for his opinion and once again, Tsuna surprises me with his answer: he stated the plain and simple fact he had no idea what happened nor could he go back and fix but he knew Primo would never do such a thing. I think he should have tacked on 'willingly' because like he said, we don't know what happened. Naturally that sets the Shimon off as they don't know about the meeting between Primo and Decimo in the Future. Erased memories can be such pains. Next thing that happens involved a declaration of war against the Vongola to 'regain' the Shimon's pride. The only 'pride' that would be regained would be fear. Besides, taking revenge on people who have no idea what happened much less are even related to the mafia world, like Ryohei and Takeshi and Chrome, shouldn't pay for the mistakes of long deceased men.

"STOP!" my scream was lost in the crunch of stone and Tsuna's scream. Alone, without raising a hand, Enma sent everyone flying into the ceiling and walls leaving good sized dents. When everyone stood back up they just got crushed to the floor. Fear locked my limbs and dulled my head. I could only stare uncomprehendingly at the people who defeated the Varia, beat Byakuran and the Funeral Wreaths crushed like ants. A soft crack and shatter drifted across the room: the Vongola rings were damaged but no heed was paid to them by Tsuna. He only had thoughts for his friends.

"It's your own fault. I watched you. I thought the Tenth was someone scary and hateful but turns out he is someone a bit like me. I thought you would be different. We could have understood each other but instead! I find you are just like the rest of the Vongola bosses!"

"STOP!" my voice was finally heard, "Tsuna's nothing like the rest! He shouldn't even be in this world!"

"Shut up!" Adelheid hurled some form of substance. I shifted to tried and avoid them but only got myself clipped on the arm. It stung, like a paper cut but worse. I couldn't move to help Tsuna or the rest of the gang.

"Chrome!" Tsuna yelled.

"Julie you son of a bitch! NO way in HELL can you have date plans with Chrome!" No way. No fucking way.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, _Giaguaro_".

* * *

**_Hello, dear readers. just to give you a heads up, things are going to be slowing down due to the apparant twists in the manga (if ur reading it; if not i reccommend you do so). please review. compliments or constructive crititism much wanted._**


	25. Upgrade Many Things

_**Upgrade**_

"Hurry get the tanker!" a voice yelled, "They're severely injured!" despite all the confusion around me, I could only sit numb staring at the depressions in the wall were Enma had thrown Tsuna, Hibari, Gokudera, Chrome and Ryohei.

"NINTH!" Ganauche burst into the room, "Coyote was following the Shimon but they found and attacked him!"

"VOOIII!" Superbi's familiar roar of frustration pulled me out of the eye of the hurricane, "Give the Varia the word and we'll track them. We're better then you're weak guardians,"

"NO!" my yell had brought all eyes on me, but I only saw my brother; the result of his loss at the scramble for the Vongola rings, the future version of him buried under rubble severely injured. Fear quickly replaced the daze. If Shimon found my brother they'd kill him to get to me. …._I want you to taste the pain of what the First Shimon Boss went through when he was betrayed….If we killed them instantly they won't have tasted what Shimon went through….._

"What the hell Karen?" Superbi looked at me like I was insane, which is what I was dangerously teetering towards,

"No Squalo," the Ninth inserted, "I don't want any more victims,"

"VICTIMS?" my brother demanded,

"Listen to me!" the Ninth roared, "You'll be going up against a power we know nothing about and without powerful rings and boxes you'll lose!" and I would have the Ninth's head if he had given my brother permission to go and got killed. I was so relieved the Ninth didn't give permission I sagged onto the ground.

"Karen," I felt my brother's hands grip me under my arms and pull me up and out of the main room. "What the hell? You're a mess" he frowned, "Breathe" his exasperated sigh got me to clue into my hyperventilating,

"I….rgh!" I locked my arms around my brother's waist, crying. Crying because I felt useless and I didn't know what to do, because I was tired of the constant fighting, because I felt helpless. I haven't felt helpless in years, not since I nearly burned my hands off.

"Okay. Let it all out. Whatever it is get it out," Superbi hugged me back.

"It's not one thing, it's a lot of things," I managed to choke.

"A lot of things," Karen repeated weakly. I could only wonder what else happened aside from something happening to Katana Brat and just seeing her comrades get trashed. Whatever else has accumulated must be serious but I can't think of anything really, aside from some residual panic from the future. Well, stress with the Shimon and whatever lingers from the future together will make a mess of a person.

"Hello Karen, Squalo," Talbot entered the room, "I hope you don't mind me borrowing your rings Karen," he smiled,

Superbi and I jumped apart as if we had just been caught kissing. "What?" I wasn't happy. I looked like the shit I felt similar to. Superbi closed the meter of distance to stand in front of me,

"What was that about Karen's rings?" he snarled,

"I'm upgrading the Vongola ring at the request of Vongola Decimo. I need her Beast Rings as well. Well, actually just the jaguar,"

I stepped around my brother, "What do you mean upgrade?"

"Precisely what it means. I can see that your Vongola ring is in good condition. Lucky for you Shimon apparently thinks that ring was lost to time,"

"What do you mean? Vongola ring?" Superbi's visage clearly told me he wasn't pleased about this,

"Sorry, with things going on I kept forgetting," I grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of my head. God, am I ever starting to pick up on Takeshi's habits.

"Don't forget you and Tsunayoshi are cousins," Talbot added, "she's the Misty Rain Guardian," as if that explained everything.

"DON'T JUST DROP THAT!" I yelled.

"What's going on in here?" the Ninth opened the door with Tsuna, Ryohei and Gokudera in tow. He raised his eyebrows at Superbi. Glancing over my shoulder revealed a stunned, about-to-faint Superbi Squalo,

"You and Sawada are COUSINS?" he asked dazed,

"What?" Tsuna was baffled, "huh" Gokudera made sure his ears were lacking ear wax.

"We'll talk later!" man this is driving me crazy. I got to answer Tsuna and my brother and I have to do it in different ways because they are borderline polar opposites.

"Here are my rings, now shoo!" I pushed Talbot out of the room.

Thankfully, by the time I got back, the Ninth had explained the Misty Rain Guardian and the family relations to Tsuna. Naturally, everyone was just as electrified d as I was. It's hard to take in when a friend you've known for two years is actually you're cousin. Gokudera was all flustered, Ryohei just said he didn't really get it and everyone else was silent, looking at me then Tsuna and back again. Sometimes I want to shoot myself and be done with it.

I wonder what Talbot is cranking out in that room of his. Leave it to him to bring his work with him wherever he goes. Though I'm one to talk as I never go anywhere without a couple bamboo needles. I didn't listen to Ryohei or Gokudera as they talked about being unable to comprehend the Shimon's betrayal. I could. History, particularly when a person is on the short end of the stick, can be manipulated to suit their own ends and the truth is lost to time. I don't know if Primo betrayed the Shimon, I wasn't there and therefore can't confirm what did or didn't happen. For history, the only time I give it credits is when there is still a live witness. Once the witnesses are gone I'm reluctant to accept what is written as truth. Also, I'm an idiot.

"What are you thinking?" Reborn's voice pulled my attention outward,

"Nothing really," I shrugged

"Kicking yourself in the butt for not mentioning your suspicions?" Reborn hit the heart of the matter and more than likely signed my death warrant. I should set up a file for all the signed warrants on my death since I have a gathered minimum of twenty excluding the ones signed by select members of the Varia.

"What?" Gokudera glanced at me,

"I…noticed there was something up with the Shimon, but I thought I was being paranoid. Even when I ran into Adelheid the day she killed the Giegue family".

"You…ran….. into….her…that…day?" Gokudera's voice turned as hard as his face,

"I didn't see anything!" I protested, "She seemed jumpy but….well, I really don't have an excuse. I didn't…want to believe that we would have to fight again so soon," I sighed. From Varia to the Future and now this, things just aren't slowing down any. They start slide down the hill, build up speed and slow down only to find another cliff to go over.

"What's done is done," Reborn glanced at me, "More importantly; you know why Yamamoto got injured?"

"His guard was down," I answered. Thing is, I could quite easily be in Takeshi's place and nearly was.

Reborn continued, "You're going to be fighting against the Shimon in a moment, you need to be ready". Hell, I was ready to do more than fight; I was planning serious injury at the least and murder at the most. "Tsuna, what do you think?"

"I don't really know. I agree something happened to the Shimon but I can't believe what Enma said about Primo. I want to clear things up and…well, Yamamoto was injured by them and Chrome kidnapped. So we can learn about what happened; we have to win. We can't lose!" Tsuna's fierce statement got everyone ready to roll,

"We'll show them!" Gokudera held up his fist with a smile

"Yeah. We'll beat them to the extreme!" Ryohei added while I just nodded in agreement. Unlike Xanxus who used his charisma almost all the time, Tsuna's only ever made an appearance when he felt strongly about something, like now where he believed there had to be a misunderstanding between what happened ten generations ago between Shimon and Vongola. I don't care about history any more than I gave a rat's ass about Leviathan but I do care what happens in the present and in the present, Takeshi was hospitalized and Chrome kidnapped by the Shimon.

"Seems you're ready," Reborn smiled,

"We'll see if you're ready," Talbot entered pushing a cart piled high with eight, strange looking stones, "They will respond if you're resolve is true,"

"Talbot," the Ninth jumped, "Are those the Vongola rings?"

"Did it fail?" Ryohei asked. The question brought a depressed atmosphere. IDIOT!

"Uh, Ryohei, didn't he just say the rings would respond?" I resisted smacking him.

"You're sharp, Karen," Talbot smiled, "You guys will finish the upgrade yourselves".


	26. Beginning

_**Beginning**_

"_Karen, why do you have to go?" Superbi's arms were crossed._

_I sighed, "I'm the Misty Rain Guardian. Besides, Tsuna needs some help. And don't volunteer," I tacked on. I knew my brother would only get hurt if he came._

"_Get going than," his voice turned gruff, "And don't come close. I'll tie you down and won't let you out of my sight for the rest of my life," he turned,_

"…_When I get back," I started slowly, "will you be up for sparring?" I grinned over my shoulder_

"_Only if you're not like Yamamoto," he winced,_

"_I won't be. Prometto," I smiled._

A swish of moist, saline air twined its way through my hair and nose. The fresh brine air carried the scent of land but there was none in sight. An illusion? Doubt it. None of the Earth flames struck me as similar to the Mist but I haven't seen anything of what they can do.

"Earth and Sky. Complementary opposites," I murmured to the waves.

"What was that Karen?" Tsuna walked over.

"Just thinking about the Shimon," I shrugged. Tsuna wasn't here to talk to me about that. His face was scrunched up slightly. I resisted demanding to know what was on his mind as I've found demanding information out of people just scares the bejeezus out of them.

"Um, at the meeting, when you said the Varia would just get in the way…did you mean that?" Tsuna asked slowly,

"_Then let us go with you!" Superbi insisted when the Ninth choose Tsuna's path of the Tenth Generation being the only ones to fight Shimon. Fear lanced through me light lightning._

"_NO!" my hands burned from their impact on the table, "No way,"_

"_Why not? They're short a couple members," Superbi was trying to reach my rational side which, at the moment, was out of commission. _

"_No," I repeated, _

"_Karen," my brother started,_

"_NO! You'll just get in the way!"_

"Uh Karen?" Tsuna frowned, suppressed anxiety tensing him into concrete,

"What do you think?" I removed myself from my cousin. Things have really been awkward since Talbot dropped my newfound family relations on the table and not just with Tsuna. When Xanxus finds out I'm going to have to live in Japan and not set a foot out of it for the rest of my life that might not be very long. If Takeshi had asked me any of the questions Tsuna just did I would've answered directly. Keh, I'm such a closed-in-idiot. Turning around, I leaned against the railing, "Yes, I meant it. Some of it is fear the rest is they're annoying."

"Oh." Tsuna shifted uncomfortably.

"We're gonna win and you're gonna do what's right." I glanced over, "You always do."

"Uh, well" Tsuna was blushing slightly, "what about what Vongola has done?"

"I don't give a rat's ass about the past. Information can be twisted beyond recognition, especially with victors and losers. I wouldn't be surprised if Primo Vongola and Primo Shimon were banging their heads on a wall wondering 'what the fuck happened?' I'm more concerned about what happened my life time, which is very short and not looking very long,"

"WHAT?" Tsuna jumped, "I'm pretty sure you can…"

"It's not about the Shimon, "I rolled my eyes, "I'm talking about Xanxus,"

"Oh," Tsuna looked ready to wet his pants at the mention of the holder of my pay check. I really don't get how people can be so scared of Xanxus. I can blackmail him but let's not poke the dozing dragon in the eye.

"Anyways," I tried to spare Tsuna some embarrassment, "Am I the only who thinks something is off here? The Shimon had truly no murderous intents towards the Vongola when we first met them. Then something happened and….we're here," I finished lamely,

"I don't know," Tsuna shrugged.


	27. Moving In

_**Moving In**_

I repressed a groan as my hair caught on a branch of a bush. It was one of those thorny ones that loved clinging to what hurt. Rather than simply cutting the strands free I meticulously untwined them from the branch. Stray strands that glittered in the sunlight often attracted unwanted attention from any living organism with a brain and curiosity. Turning my attention back to the tunnel that was carved through the mountain in the center of the Simon Famiglia's island, I wondered where it went. An entire day had been spent here yet I hadn't seen anyone pass through. The pitch blackness of places the sun never touched did not bother me but this was not familiar territory and the Simon are worse than sharks at a feeding frenzy with their attitudes to the Vongola.

Staying out of the mouth of the tunnel was easy until I had to go in. Not for the first or last time I said my prayers that I was slim. Remaining out of the sunlight as much as possible was a shade harder but necessary. The sun would clearly illuminate me if I entered it directly and anyone coming out would see me unless they were blind. From what I've seen, no one in the Simon Family was blind.

The dry air was still and provided no natural sounds for me to conceal my movements with. It was amazing what could be concealed in the soft rustle of leaves so long as an individual wasn't too clumsy. Thinking of clumsy drew Tsuna to mind. I wondered how he was doing. It's been hours since Sasagawa and Koyo were dragged into Vendice. I would prefer to die rather than go back to Japan to tell Kyoko she will never see her big brother again. Having Xanxus telling me Superbi was gone forever...let's not even think about it. I don't want to have to break my promise to Superbi. Being caught by the Simon here on their home ground while I know nothing about their Flames would be a death sentence. Whenever I don't have a relative idea of my opponent's abilities it never goes as well as I would like. My future self's encounter with Byakuran in combat clearly proves that since I found myself in a morgue. But the 'key' Vendice released was rather puzzling. From the way the Simon had gone on, I though there had been more years of antagonism between Giotto's Family and Cozart's Family. At least the clues would continue to be provided as the battles went on. I didn't like this, the battles. It seemed orchestrated but not by any of the Simon. It seemed intent on sabotaging both parties somehow. There was no concrete proof just a feeling in my gut. Whatever, I shook myself, turning back to the night of the tunnel.

Tunnels, for me at least, have always had a sense of pressure to them. I could sense the weight of the earth pressing down on the walls and it wasn't solely because of claustrophobia. The pressure faded when a ghost of a light sparkled at the end of the tunnel. I didn't have to be as careful here as the shadows would conceal me however security has caused many a spies' downfall. Moving apace from shadow to shadow, I felt my jaw drop. In the great cavern that the tunnel ended in was a rather tall castle. Spires leapt from almost any corner and Earth flames illuminate certain points. My eyes had seen many bizarre things but this was the most bizarre. A _European_ style castle _in_ an island off the coast of _Japan_ didn't make much sense unless you were an Italian bringing home over to foreign land. Two heart beats later my awe retreated into wariness as I became aware of another pressure. It wasn't the closed space pressure as it had a more human feel to it. It was more...contemplating and aware that a jaguar was in the jungle but not sure where it was precisely. I also felt Enma's Flame. How could I forget that intense gravity that threw Tsuna and company around with no problems?

Approaching the wall furthest from the burning Flames and most set into the shadows wasn't easy. Finally settling for a nook, I slid my hands over the rock that composed of the castle. Even if it was made by Flames there would still be handholds. If I used my ring or whatever it is now it would be much easier to get up but since I need a tonne of willpower to activate it, it would only draw attention. Even the least intuitive would be able to feel the Flames need to release my new weapon from its crystal. Besides, it's not a good idea to become dependent on Flames no matter how useful they are. They can always be sensed no matter how thinly spread out they are. Running my hands along the wall to search for groves to use as handholds, I noticed the first ten feet were perfectly smooth but above those ten feet it would be ideal for free-style mountain climbing. Getting up would be the problem though. I'm a few inches shy of six feet and there are still four feet to go. Ugh. Sliding through the window I heaved a sigh. I am way out of shape if that short climb was causing rivulets of sweat to cascade.

_Kufufu, you have gotten used to the 'everyday' life._

_Shut up._ I took a few deep breaths to restore oxygen to my lungs. While softly gasping I glanced around the room I had slid into. A layer of dust covered the entire floor and there was no furniture. Footprints marked where someone had recently and inadvertently cleaned the floor. They lead up to the window where they turned back and straight out the door. This must a watch turret. It was ideally located to observe all the tunnels that lead to the cavern the castle was housed in. Even the tunnel I came in by was clearly seen. Mercifully, the footprints had a day's layer of new dust so no one had been here when I came in. Turning my attention up, I found the rafters. If I lay on my side on the beams then no one would be able to see save from select angles. The blocks that made up the castle were smooth on the outside but roughly hewn on the inside. Climbing up them would be easy.

A sudden sense of 'HIDE' had me up the wall and in the rafters before I could draw a breath. Breathing deeply and slowly to soothe my hammering heart and cool the adrenaline, I built up an illusion that would mimic the walls around me. For this kind of thing photographic memory was actually useful. If the person wasn't perceptive or not expecting the illusion I would be safe. I should be since no one was expecting Tsuna soon...I hope.

The door to the tower slid open silently as Julie stepped in. Something was very different about him now. It seemed as if a veil had been lifted and his true...no, not true self. This echoed of Chrome, how she had a veil of Mukuro's identity over her's after all the times Mukuro possessed her. The lazy womanizer that was Julie was smothered by a duvet of cold, malicious intent with a power drive that was deadly. Goosebumps were blooming across my arms. If I had a mirror, I would not have been surprised if my hair was bristled like a cat confronted with a cat-eating dog.

Julie's body was perfectly relaxed as he gazed out the window. Then it tensed as he found something he didn't like. Timing my footsteps with his breathing I crossed the ceiling like a cat, clinging to the beam. His eyes flicked up for a few beats. I froze, keeping my breathing synchronized with his while controlling my heart rate with deep breaths. All that blood giving me a rush was the last thing I needed. Whoever had Julie in his grasp was terrifying in his intent. Shrugging he turned back to the window. Not even wondering if it was a ploy I shot across the remaining beams and swung myself down the stairwell up to the room. My pure, un-polished leather silenced my rapid footsteps as I shot down the stairwell. I didn't stop racing until I reached a great hall, shot up a pillar and reached a point where all the rafters met. Once secure behind the column I let out a quick gasp. Why on _earth_ did I bolt out of there like entirety of the Millefiore and Varia were on my heels?

Mukuro's only comment was his silent astonishment. I shivered as I thought of that quilt that was covering Julie. It seemed old, like First Generation Vongola old. When Primo released the Vongola rings' seals I had sensed irritation in the Mist Guardian but nothing like what I felt in Julie. Its ruthless ambition made Xanxus a philanthropist.

Again so soon! I reeled from the new key. I have no idea how the battles were going. It could be 0-2 (Vongola-Shimon) for all I knew! More importantly right now though, I need to regroup. Okay, we saw how Cozart's and Giotto's friendship started. They both helped out a local kid who lived in the same town as them. Now, I find out _Cozart_ had suggested that _Giotto start_ and _lead_ a vigilante group. What the hell? I'd always known history is perverted by the writer but this is beyond what could be conceived! From what I know so far, Giotto and Cozart had no reason to stab each other, yet the Shimon Family has been reduced to what it is now. The descendents of Cozart's family were after the lives of the Vongola yet the reason for the fighting seemed to have bloomed out of nowhere. But nothing comes out of nowhere, there is always a source and that s what I want to find. Sadly, to find the source I need to wait for the puzzle pieces to present themselves. I hope they aren't at the cost of my friends.

Mentally groaning I continued to move on. It was hard to stay on this sturdy wooden beam. I desperately wanted to find out how everyone was doing. Thinking about Sasagawa made my stomach heave but I didn't have that same reaction for everyone else. As much as I didn't want to consider it, it seemed to be the only reasonable conclusion: Ryohei lost.


	28. Consideration

**Sorry for the long wait everyone and thank you for being patient with me. Please review :)**

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_**Consideration**_

Hours passed before I stirred and stretched. Muscles yelped at the gentle, morning extensions. I sighed rubbing the back of head. There was no way to tell time here in this underground castle as there was no sun. Some would argue I should've brought a watch but those things, with their metal parts, would only make it easy for me to be located by people I would rather not be caught by.

Two days and I still hadn't found anything. More than anything I wanted to scream but refrained from doing so. I massaged my forehead as I thought about the more recent key that was unveiled. Giotto had sent a letter to Cozart requesting his help in an upcoming war. Since it was a key, it was safe to assume that it was the turning point of the Shimon's fortunes. After this we'll find out the truth. But until then….

Concentrating on meditative breathing I assessed my situation. What was my objective? To get information on the Shimon family and find out the truth of what happened between the Shimon and Vongola. How am I meeting my objective? Concerning the past, I can only wait for the memories Vendice has been steadily dribbling out. To find the information on the Shimon themselves, I intended to find their library. However, considering the Shimon's diminutive size, chances are they had no such library. Many of the major families, like the Vongola and Cavallone, had massive libraries detailing the history of their families along with records of the various treaties they signed, business transactions, budgets etc. I can't interrogate one of the family members as I had no idea what they could do and as such won't be able to take proper precautions to prevent escape and ensure my survival. A dead informant is a useless one. That left only one option: observation.

After a quick scan of the floor below to make sure no one was coming, I slid down the column. The beam I had slept on left its mark in the stinging pain in my muscles. Of course anyone would be sore from spending a couple of nights sleeping on a wooden beam but I was used to it before I came to Japan. Since then, my previous stamina has faltered along with everything else. Yes, I trained before Choice and learned new skills along with the new style of fighting but it wasn't rigorous like the Varia. Superbi had trained me before Choice but most of his attention had been on Takeshi and smartly so. Ah well, it doesn't really matter whether I'm rusty or not. If Tsuna chooses to not succeed the Ninth then I will be hanging up my sword and moving to Japan permanently However, Tsuna might surprise us all and become the Tenth Boss of the Vongola Family. Permitting we survive this I'll find out but instead of reminiscing I should be figuring out what the hell's going on. The sudden bloodlust in the Shimon was odd and I intended to find out why it appeared.

Who would be best to observe? Enma and Adelheid were the most prominent members of the Shimon but they were obvious. I wasn't too sure why but my gut was telling me it was someone more subtle. Julie seemed to be the key though his character seemed to contradict his importance but Dr. Shamal was similar to Julie yet Dr. Shamal has been one of the Vongola's greater allies. Besides, the fact Julie had claimed that Chrome would belong to him in mind and body bothered me. Chrome pretty much belonged to Mukuro and unless Julie could completely override Mukuro's and Chrome's control, she would be safe from him. However, I had a nagging feeling that Julie was a whole hell of lot more than what I have seen and can dream of. There was one problem though, where the hell was I going to find him? _Wait a second,_ I paused, _this always works_. I concentrated Sky Flames into the palm of my hand, keeping its energy contained so no one noticed it early. Raising my hand, I aimed it at the opposite pillar. Fwoosh! Crack. Stone groaned in protest as it slowly teetered and finally accelerated into the ground. I love gravity. The boom shook the entire cavern, or at least felt like it.

Crap.

_YOU DID NOT THINK IT THROUGH DID YOU! _Mukuro screamed in my head,

_I got a brain that I use!_ I shot back as I climbed up the pillar and wedged myself between the beams higher up though they were less than 0.5 meters from the ceiling. Thank God for being a twig.

_You most certainly weren't using it!_ Now he was crippled with anger until he roared the last word.

_Shut up!_ Adelheid and Julie emerged from the same corridor.

"What the hell?" Adelheid's jaw was on the ground from the sound of her voice. I felt rather than saw Julie's eyes narrow and scan the roof. Now that I thought about it, this was a crappy spot to hide in. If they found me I'd be hard pressed to make it out quickly. Mukuro didn't say anything but I could hear the gears clicking away as he simmered, smug at the proof of my idiocy. Hey, patience was a learned trait okay?

Shifting carefully I peered over the edge of the beam when I felt Julie's eyes turn back down. I don't know what it is but the entity possessing him but it would be a nasty case of business that makes Mukuro appear pleasant. _Mukuro what do you…MUKURO!_ He wasn't there in my head. It was completely, utterly silent. What the hell? A grin turned up Julie's mouth.

"Whoever did this must be gone." Julie spoke to Adelheid,

"Who do you think it was?" she glanced at Julie,

Julie only shrugged, "My best bet would be Karen Squalo. She is the Varia's prized intelligence agent."

"Intelligence is one thing,"

"But infiltration is another?" Julie interrupted Adelheid, "They are different but Karen is the best in both fields. It is quite probably she rigged this as a distraction so she could go wherever else."

"So then!" Adelheid was ready to bolt back down the corridor she came from.

"The girl ain't an assassin. There's only one name to her and it was self-defence. Or so the sources say."

"So the only thing we can do is be on guard?"

"Yep. Now see yeh," Julie spun on his heel and headed out the way he came, his eyes flicked up connecting with mine. I felt fatally sick. A spade appeared in an eye similar to the kanji for six in Mukuro's except Mukuro's was permanent. The presence I had sensed in him earlier was unveiled. Everything was screaming at me to run. He wanted me to follow him! The further hesitation told me it would be a better idea to not follow him. I could send an illusion but I strongly suspected he would see through it though he might decide to play around. Only I could do though was follow and keep my distance. I knew he would give me some answers if not all. It was also quite probable he would tell me everything and then kill me. During my debate Adelheid had followed Julie out though much more slowly.

An abrupt shift in weight drew my attention to the rock that Talbot had forged my Vongola Ring and box into. It was dominantly blue with streaks of indigo and orange. In terms of proportions, 60% was blue with the remaining 40% a balance between indigo and orange. The crystal was sliding of the drawstring pouch I had strapped to my belt. Swinging around the beam so I was suspended with my feet pointed to the ground I let gravity tuck my Vongola ring back into its pouch. Pulling myself back up, I tightened the draw strings so that only I could ever hope to untie the knot.

Gliding through the halls like the jaguar, I rounded various corners and stayed in the shadows. It was strange that this part of the castle was unlit when the rest had left no room for shadows. Was Julie trying to make it easier for me? Or trying to get me to let down my guard? Whatever his reason, it was making me edgy. Turning a corner I found myself blinded by pure light. Blinking and cringing form the sudden lighting, I noticed I was in sunlit meadow that careened into a sheer cliff. The sun's heat was palpable and pleasant after the clammy haze of the caverns. I can't believe I actually forgot what pure air tastes and smells like. Approaching the cliff I noticed a stairwell that had been carved into the rock and it lead to a series of houses. I instantly went still but there was no sign of action. Recent inhabitation was obvious though I was unable to tell if someone was there. The stone made it impossible to tell if anyone was there. Kneeling down, I saw a series of pressure marks in the grass. Two of them were quite recent, a few minutes before me. Someone had been supported or dragged as there was a long pressure trail. If someone was walking normally than there would be gaps between the pressed grasses. Rising, I stepped down the stairs, remaining pressed to the side. The view was amazing with nothing but ocean waves pulsing into the distance. It must be amazing during sunrise and sunset.

"Over here Karen!" Julie suddenly appeared around the corner.

Standing still, I glared at him, "I'll approach you when you reveal yourself."

"Nufufuf," a swirl of mist and desert sand drifted away from Julie to reveal a tall, slim man. My hair was thrown back as his murder intent was finally unveiled. The hairs on my skin all rose up in a useless attempt to threaten him. Physically, he resembled Mukuro except for the back his hair was light and shorter but this was not Mukuro. Mukuro actually had a tangible gentleness. With this guy I had to really look to find his own lighter side. "My name is Daemon Spade,"

This was bad, "The First and Second Mist Guardian then."

"You're not going to ask how I'm still here?" he smiled playfully,

"I'll ask later. Right now you're pissing me off. Why are you with the Shimon?" I flipped my triple jointed naginata out of my sleeve.

"To destroy this Vongola."

Uh-oh, he's being too honest, "Why?" I asked slowly,

"You honestly think the Vongola is fine the way it is?" he sounded surprised though I doubt he actually was.

"It could be more of what Giotto wanted it to be." I shrugged, my eyes not leaving his which narrowed.

"You sound exactly like Katherine and Giotto."

"Shouldn't be that surprising."

"Of course not, Katherine is your great-great-great grandmother. You look a lot like her actually." I twisted around to block a strike. I couldn't believe I was staring at a scythe. They had gone out style centuries ago. The form I had been talking to rushed in. Dropping my naginata I jumped to the side. "And you'll endure the same fate she did."

Now wasn't the time hold back. If I did, I could tell from his presence that I would die. My pride is my ability to hold to my promises and to protect what is important to me. I promised Superbi we would have a sparring match as soon as we got back home. I won't let anyone be destroyed anymore! If this fails Talbot, you'll be answering to me in the next life if my brother doesn't get you. Rain, Sky and Mist flames radiated from the rock Talbot had forged in its pouch. As soon as it had appeared it was gone. A light constriction formed around my throat. Raising my hand, I found a slim choker made of braided ribbon with a pendant in the middle. From the contours that my finger felt, it was Kaida's, my jaguar box weapon, face. Suspended from the mark of Kaida was a naginata with its blade pointed upward.

Daemon swung his scythe before I could further activate it. Diving to the side I rolled, feeling the edge of the carved path. If I fell from here, I had no doubt the waves would break my skull against the cliff side if the impact of hitting water didn't kill me. Almost instantly a wave of mist flames materialized forming jabbing blades. They should be illusions but I still dodged and thank God I did. They were real illusions. Loosening the joints of my naginata I hurled it at Daemon like a boomerang. Unfortunately I was never good at those but it bought me enough time to activate my new Vongola Gear. As Daemon's scythe swung for another attack, I found myself instinctively using my new gear. I was now wearing a high collared white vest was over a white long sleeved shirt. White trousers ended just above my ankles were anklets that would emit Sky Flames like Tsuna's gloves rested. How I knew they would act like Tsuna's gloves was simply intuition. It was surprising to find my feet bare but I wasn't going to complain. I liked feeling the earth, or rather the stone, with my own skin. Now I have a new, sturdier naginata. The wooden handle was black like ebony and the blade was clearly rippled like a river with tones of blue, orange and indigo darting through it.

Turning onto the offensive I used the anklets as thrusters. The purity of the flame indicates it was the peak-type. Brilliant…I have to learn how to use it on the roll. Not my favourite way of learning new techniques. Swinging the naginata down in a diagonal slash, I unleashed a wave of Mist flames all concentrated into fine points. They only passed through him. Hmm. I wonder what Rain and Sky flames would do but chances are they'll go through him again.

"Done analyzing?" that smile of his was starting to piss me off royally. Not even Xanxus or Leviathan on their really good days annoyed me this much. The smile was playful like Mukuro's but maliciousness was an oozing poison out of a cobra's fangs.

"Yes. Quit playing around and be serious."

"Nufufu. You really are like Katherine."

"I hear a similar thing except it applies to Giotto and Tsuna," I swung my naginata and whipped it around to hit him as he dodged with the blunt end unfortunately. Dancing back, he smirked. "However, I'll point out Tsuna and Giotto are two different people with different histories."

"Obviously. You and Katherine have extremely different upbringings." He lashed out with an illusion. Following my instinct to dodge I heard the clatter of stone striking stone. Christ that would've hurt if it had hit.

"That's a really old but effective trick Daemon."

"Well than, shall I treat you to what I'm really like?" a deck of cards flashed in his hands. Internally I braced. No doubt cards were typical magicians trick but with someone like this man I had no doubt it would be unpleasant. "You are a smart child after all. I suppose you have to be…to live through the things you do." A wave of blackness shot forward like a tsunami fast-forward a few hundred miles per mile. Regal columns of straight cards appeared out of the blackness. Dear God I've already lost control. Mammon's gonna kill me if this guy doesn't.

"Nufufufu…any last regrets?" I spun around to find Superbi striding towards me. Not one of these illusions! They're way overrated, useless, and typical of an illusionist.

"I thought you would use a different illusion. Everyone uses this type." I deliberately put an insolent, bored tone into my voice. In response, everyone else was created.

"You are a brat, unlike Katherine."

"No shit." I drew all of my Sky and Rain flames from every gadget my Choker of the Misty Rain had given me and directed them into the naginata's blade.

Daemon almost lost control of the illusion from laughing. "You think you're going to do defeat all of them with one strike?"

"Yes." I smiled. Of course it was impossible concentrate an attack on one of the illusions and have it destroy all of them. It was going to be one strike but not in the way Daemon clearly anticipated. "My pride lies in my ability to keep my promises. Cielo Grande Onda!" The Sky and Rain flames mixed into a hurricane producing waves that made the 2004 tsunami seem weak and tiny.


	29. Dread

_**Dread**_

_What is taking them so long?_ Superbi scowled at Shimon Island. His fist was clenched around a handrail and ached from the strength of his grip but he wasn't prepared to move. Unbidden, his thoughts turned to Karen's words at the meeting 'You'll just get in the way!' He knew she had deliberately chosen those words to deter him but he also knew she believed it. Otherwise she wouldn't have said them like that. For her to say those words, that she knew would hurt him, required strength. When did she become so strong she could say those kinds of things? When did she become so strong he didn't need to protect her?

"Squalo," the Ninth appeared, eyeing the clenched fist, "Karen is just fine. You would know otherwise."

"Shut up old geezer," he wasn't in the mood for consolation and reassurance, "I'm not worried." He honestly wasn't worried; he just didn't know how to cope with this matured Karen. She had become much more expressive. Her own panic at Katana Brat's attack and her fear for the Varia had been transparent. Panic and fear were emotions she had kept securely locked away behind anti-nuclear protection. What had changed and what didn't?

A burst of light danced on the edge of a cliff. Superbi blinked in confusion and leaned forward, his eyes squinting to better perceive what had just happened. Blue light flared brightly.

"What?" the Ninth, even with his old sight, had seen it too, "Is that Dying Will Flames?" No sooner had he inquired then indigo and orange flames flared. Karen! Superbi recognized the flares. Even though each flame had its own distinct shape, Karen's flames had considerably gentler forms than most others. Superbi wasn't completely certain that those were Karen's flames but something told him it was her. Rain, Sky and Mist danced for five minutes more before suddenly disappearing. A great wave of Rain and Sky suddenly burst out of nowhere and demolished the better part of the cliff side as it twisted and turned in simple gushes until it faded away. What had been an impressively sheer cliff side was now flattened into a gentle slope. Superbi had no idea what the hell just happened but he was certain Karen had not been the one torched. "My God. Who and what was that?" the Ninth was appropriately floored.

"Ninth!" voices erupted all over the deck. Superbi was oblivious to the outcries. He wished he could reach Karen somehow, know she was alright. That burst of Dying Will Flames had been her but was she alright after releasing all that? Was her opponent down and out? All he knew was the bad feeling growing in his mind. There was no doubt Karen had taken her opponent out as the mass of flames had twisted and turned as if it was searching for something. Yet, he felt dread.

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_Yeah bit of a filler here folks but its only to sustain you until I get around to the next chapter. Thank you for your patience. :)_


	30. Moving On

**Hello everyone, I am hands and knees apologizing for my inconsistency with this story. A giant Thank you to all reviewers and steadfast readers through the...however many years...it has been. Please review with honest critique and enjoy.**

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Okay, I groaned to myself, just what the hell happened?

A flash of blue and orange waves finally filtered through my dazed head. Did I knock myself out with my own power? God that will be humiliating if Levi finds out. Clenching my abdomen, I tried to pull myself up but my head spun faster than a top.

Fuck! This hurts! Releasing my muscles I fell back against the ground with a groan. The ground felt strange under my body. Carefully rotating my head so I could look around, I noticed the cliff was nearly gone and sharply sloped now. If a person wasn't careful, they would go rolling down this hill straight into the ocean.

_Karen?_ Mukuro's voice was shocked and distracted,_ you're okay?_

_Does not being able to move count as okay?_ I inquired as I processed the lack of the barrier. When he didn't give me an answer in any form, I tentatively followed the trail of his own thoughts and found him fighting Daemon.

Man, that guy gets around fast. Mukuro acknowledged my presence but remained focused on Daemon.

_Sawada is back in the castle. You might want to find him first._ A sudden rumble shook the slope. Leaping to my feet as the pulse of adrenaline downed the pain; I demanded to know what the hell was happening.

"Guah!" I yelped as fell back after the rumble. "I can't fucking move!"

My muscles quivered, noodley and full of needles. Mercifully the needles only hammered at my scalp rather than my brain. Dammit. _Haven't been this helpless for a couple years now,_ I grumbled. Once again retracting into waking meditation I was able to slowly move.

Rumbles reverberated through the ground like a gong, constantly unbalancing me until I bent my pride and crawled. Going through the tunnel was taking a lot less time going into it than coming out. Not surprising since I had been following a guy that had scared the shit out of me earlier.

It had been ridiculously easy to find Tsuna. Rather than following bread crumbs I was following the vibrations that could only be started by Tsuna's Sky Flame. Christ that guy can really rumble when he wants to, literally. Still crawling through the cavernous space I was thankful Levi wasn't here…make that I was absolutely no one was here to see this.

once I could believe in God. Finally sensing Tsuna, I pulled myself onto my feet just in time to get blasted back from the shockwave of his new variation of the X Burner. His hands crossed in front with crystal clear hard flames gathering; his soft flames flared out from his arm gears. Geeze, he has this all wrapped up.

Smoke and dust billowed as chunks of rock fell out the ceiling. Wobbling with the castle as it shook I slid down to the floor.

Shouts of 'Tsuna!' echoed. What? Is that…Takeshi's voice? Twisting around and launching into the room. Dust cleared. Three silhouettes among the smoke were familiar. I recognized Tsuna's tiny little form, Gokudera's slightly stockier and taller form and Takeshi's slim, tall figure. How? Last I saw he was on life support and out cold. Before I could run to him, a harsh, hacking sound echoed. The coughing drew my reluctant attention to a slouched form on the ground. I blinked. Enma's hair was standing all over the place. Lambo suddenly laughed, shouting how Enma had bed hair. If that's bed hair than I wonder what explosion hair looks like. Once again staggering, I could hear Tsuna and Enma talking.

"My pride is….My comrades, my friends." Smiling to myself I could only think typical Tsuna.

"Karen!" Takeshi suddenly called.

Weakly I waved, "Damn shit. Dam you to hell for making me that worried." My legs just had to choose that moment to give out.

"You give him shit yet look at you!" Gokudera growled,

"Hah, I'm lucky to still be alive considering Daemon walked away from our fight all fine and dandy." I growled. "_I'm _not the one in bed on life support." Takeshi just laughed as he pulled me back to my feet. Unable to remain standing, I leaned on him...and like it a little too much.

* * *

**Alright, to spare everyone some agony this is the last chapter for the Misty Rain Guardian. Maybe at some point I'll edit it but please don't hold your breaths. Thank you so much for reading. Bye.**


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